Odisha Channel Bureau
Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal MP from Kendrapara Baijayant Panda was suspended from the primary membership of the party for “anti-party” activities on Wednesday.
Chief Minster and BJD president Naveen Patnaik has suspended Panda with immediate effect, senior Minister and BJD vice-president Surjya Narayan Petro told journalists here.
Listing the reasons for Panda’s suspension from the party’s primary membership, Patro said that the MP had been trying his best to weaken the BJD after 2014 elections when he was not allowed by party leadership to become ex-officio chairman of the Lok Sabha’s Standing Committee on Finance.
Panda was removed from the post spokesperson of the BJD Parliamentary Party in May last year.
Patro further said that in 2014 Panda had received more than Rs. 1. 45 crore as salary and allowance as vice-president of IMFA.
The loan waiver of crores of rupees granted to IMFA (previously Indian Charge Chrome Ltd was also surrounded by controversy till date, he added.
Panda’s claim that he was a founder member of the BJD was totally baseless, and he had also openly campaigned for nominees of opposition parties during the panchayat elections last year, added Patro.
The suspension of Panda followed submission of reports from two senior leaders of the party – Pramila Mallick and Usha Devi – based on their inquiry into the allegations about his anti-party activities.
