Former Odisha minister Balabhadra Majhi resigns from BJD

Five-time BJD MLA and former Odisha minister Balabhadra Majhi resigned from the party on Monday barely a few months before the simultaneous Lok Sabha and state elections, party sources said. Majhi sent his resignation to party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik but did not give the reason for the step he took, they said.

The sources said alleged neglect by the party is the reason for his resignation. Majhi was first elected to the Odisha Assembly from Narla in 1990 on the Janata Dal ticket. He was reelected to Narla in 1995 and later from Lanjigarh seat in 2000, 2004, and 2014.   In 2009, he lost to Shibaji Majhi of Congress.  He was denied the BJD  ticket in 2019 and the party nominated Pradeep Kumar Disari in Lanjigarh. Majhi served as SC, ST development minister in Naveen Patnaik’s cabinet twice between 2002 and 2006.