ONI Bureau: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday suspended Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda from primary membership of the party.
The suspension was announced by BJD vice-president Surya Narayan Patro at a press conference in Bhubaneswar today evening.
Patro cited that Panda has been directly and indirectly indulging in activities aimed at weakening BJD, whether it is the Parliament, State, Constituency or media space, no opportunity was missed by Panda to criticise BJD and eulogise the opposition. His claims of being a founder member of the BJD are totally false. Panda even did not support the BJD candidates during the Panchayat polls in 2017.
On the basis of these grounds, BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik took the decision to suspend him from the party,” Patra stated. Patra further added that IMFA Group, the Panda family-owned business, is engaged in a loan-waiver controversy, which was also taken into account by the Chief Minister.
Quickly replying to Naveen’s action against him, the Kendrapara MP said on his Twitter account that he was “shocked” and claimed that of an IAS officer now controlling the party.