Senior Odisha BJP leaders Bijoy Mohapatra and Dilip Ray on Friday resigned from the primary membership of the BJP. Mr. Mohapatra was a former State Minister, while Mr. Ray is the party legislator from Rourkela and a former Union Minister.
Mr. Ray also quit as MLA. He handed over his resignation letter to Assembly Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat, who accepted the same.
Their resignations come close on the heels of former IAS officer Aparajita Sarangi joining the party.
Mr. Mohapatra told journalists that he and Mr. Ray had sent their resignation letters to party national president Amit Shah.
“We regret to state that despite repeated efforts in apprising you on the sorry state of affairs in the party here, neither you nor any senior central party leader bothered to consult, review or take corrective measures,” they said in the letter.
“Be it the Mahanadi water issue or the unfulfilled promise of a second bridge over river Brahmani, the super-speciality hospital at Rourkela or the dreams of lakhs of jobs for Odia youth which we sold at Paradip during the inauguration of the oil refinery — nothing, absolutely nothing materialised,” they said.
“We can’t be treated as furniture in the party while the rootless talk big and project a larger-than-life image,” they added.
He said he joined the party in hurry before the 2009 elections. He had many bitter experiences during his 10-year stint in the party and things reached such a pitch that he was left with no option but to quit the party.
Mr. Ray said he decided to quit the party as he had failed to deliver on the issues on which he contested the 2014 elections. He had been pursuing the construction of a second bridge over the Brahmani and upgradation of the Ispat General Hospital, Rourkela, to a super speciality hospital. He had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi several times, but both projects had not made much headway.
Mr. Mohapatra said they would decide about their future course of action after holding consultations with their supporters and well-wishers. They had not held talks with any party so far, he added.
