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Athagarh MLA withdraws resignation

Special Correspondent

He appears before Assembly Speaker Pradeep Kumar Amat

Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

Ramesh Rout, MLA of Athagarh, is going out with police escort after meeting the Assembly Speaker in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. —

BHUBANESWAR: The controversy over the resignation of Independent legislator from Athagarh Ramesh Rout from his Assembly membership came to an end when he withdrew the resignation on Saturday.

Mr. Rout appeared before Assembly Speaker Pradeep Kumar Amat and submitted a letter seeking withdrawal of his resignation letter which he had given him on June 20.

“I had submitted my resignation letter to the Speaker under pressure from some leaders of the Biju Janata Dal Athagarh unit. Today I have submitted a letter to the Speaker seeking withdrawal of my resignation,” Mr. Rout told presspersons after his meeting with Mr. Amat.

The Speaker told presspersons that Mr. Rout had said he had resigned under pressure from some people and that he had since decided to continue as a Member of the Assembly.

Asked whether Mr. Rout had Biju Janata Dal leader Ranendra Pratap Swain as the person, who pressurised him to resign as a legislator, Mr. Amat said he had not named Mr. Swain directly, but taken the name ‘Raja Bhai’. Mr. Swain is popularly known as Raja.

Mr. Swain, however, convened a press conference and clarified that he had nothing to do with Mr. Rout’s resignation or the withdrawal of the same.

Mr. Swain and his party had supported Mr. Rout during his election campaign after the BJD leader failed to remain in the fray following the rejection of his nomination papers.

After submitting his resignation letter to Mr. Amat on June 20, Mr. Rout had said he had decided to resign to pave the way for Mr. Swain to contest the bye-poll and get elected to the Assembly.

Confusion

Confusion over Mr. Rout’s resignation had thickened after he went missing from his home in Athagarh a day after he handed over his resignation letter to Mr. Amat in Bhubaneswar.

After reports appeared in the media stating that Mr. Rout had gone missing, the Speaker had summoned the legislator asking him to appear before him on or before July 5 and clarify under what circumstances he had decided to resign as a Member of the State Assembly.

On Thursday, Mr. Rout’s father had also lodged a complaint with the Athagarh police urging them to trace his son.

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