After resigning as MP, Mamata Mohanta quits BJD

BJD leader Mamata Mohanta quit her party on Wednesday, hours after she resigned as a Rajya Sabha MP amid speculations that she might join the BJP. In her resignation letter to BJD president Naveen Patnaik, Mohanta said she felt that there was no requirement of the service of her and her community in the party.

"I sincerely express my gratitude to your goodself for giving me an opportunity to serve the people of Mayurbhanj and also to take the cause of Odisha at the national level," she said, adding that she was resigning from the primary membership of the BJD.

With Mohanta's resignation, the BJD's strength in Rajya Sabha dropped to eight. It does not have any MP in the Lok Sabha.


Sources in the BJP said she is likely to join the party and might get re-elected to the seat that she was vacating with the help of the party's increased strength in the assembly.

At present, the BJP has 78 members in the assembly while the opposition BJD has 51 seats. Fourteen seats are held by the Congress, three by Independents and one by CPI(M).

There are 10 Rajya Seats in the state, BJD held nine and the BJP one.