Rebel Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Pyarimohan Mohapatra on Saturday resigned as the party’s parliamentary group leader in the Rajya Sabha.
“I have submitted my resignation letter to the chairman of Rajya Sabha this morning,” Mr Mohapatra said on his return here.
The veteran BJD leader, who was earlier suspended from the party for leading an alleged coup bid on May 29 evening against the Naveen Patnaik government, said he resigned from his post because of communication gap between him and the party president.
Chief minister Patnaik holds the post of BJD party president.
“There was no point in continuing in the post when we have no communication between us,” Mr Mohapatra, who is said to be one of the key architects of the BJD, said. Under his leadership, the BJD won 2000, 2004 and 2009 Assembly elections.
“I will send the copy of my resignation letter to the party president soon,” he said, adding he was yet to get the formal letter from the party president regarding his suspension.
On June 1, Mr Mohapatra was suspended from the party along with two BJD MLAs — Bibhuti Balabantaray and Pravat Ranjan Biswal.
The RS member had refused to accept the suspension announced by Mr Patnaik from the state secretariat, saying “I am not a clerk that my suspension will be announced at the state secretariat. It should have either been done at the party office or at the Naveen Niwas, the residence of the party president.”
The Odisha chief minister has taken action against 38 leaders, including eight ministers considered close to Mohapatra’s group, who allegedly made the coup bid. Besides the eight ministers, four corporation heads and 24 chiefs of cooperative bodies who had been appointed at Mr Mohapatra’s recommendation have been dropped so far.
Political observers believe Mr Mohapatra, who has a very sizeable following in the BJD, might spring a surprise move in the coming days.