Bhubaneswar: Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former Narla MLA Balabhadra Majhi on Monday resigned from primary membership of the party, giving a serious jolt to the Naveen Patnaik-led regional outfit.
A five-time MLA from Narla, Majhi is seen as a formidable leader in Western Odisha.
In his resignation letter to party president Naveen Patnaik, he mentioned, “I do hereby relinquish the primary membership of the party.”
Though Majhi did not mention the cause of quitting the party, sources close to him said alleged neglect by the party is said to be the reason for his resignation. He has been unhappy with the party’s leadership and it is believed that he is not among the hopefuls for a ticket from the BJD this time.
If sources are to be believed, Majhi is likely to join Congress soon.
Majhi was elected as a legislator five times from Kalahandi district, after starting his political career in 1990 with the Janata Dal. He was elected as MLA in 2000 from the Narla Assembly seat. In 2014, he was elected as a legislator from Lanjigarh. However, in 2019, he was denied a ticket by the BJD.
He also served as minister twice during the first and the second term of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
