Day after resigning from Rajya Sabha, ex-BJD leader Mamata Mahanta joins BJP
A well-known leader from the Kudumi community in Odisha, Mahanta resigned two years before her term was set to end.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Mahanta joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, a day after resigning from Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Upper House.
A well-known leader from the Kudumi community in Odisha, Mahanta resigned two years before her term was set to end.
“I have received a letter today from Mamata Mohanta, a member representing the state of Odisha, resigning from her seat in the Rajya Sabha. She has resigned by writing a letter. I found it to be constitutionally in order and hence accepted her resignation,” said Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Mahanta, who is 48 years old, was elected to the Upper House of Parliament from Odisha as a member of the Biju Janata Dal in March 2020. She won her seat without opposition out of the four seats from Odisha in 2020.
After her resignation, the BJD now has 8 members in the Rajya Sabha.
In a post on X, she said, “I sincerely express my gratitude for allowing me to serve the people of Mayurbhanj and also take the cause of Odisha to the national level. However, I feel that there is no requirement for the services of myself as well as my community in the BJD. Therefore, I have taken this hard decision in the public interest.”
People close to Mahanta said she couldn't use her MPLAD fund freely because she had to follow orders from a senior party leader.
Speaking upon her resignation on Wednesday, Odisha BJP MLA Ashok Mohanty said, “BJD leaders have lost their trust in Naveen Patnaik. BJD's allegation is false. We have numbers in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. She is resigning from her party because she knows if she stays there, then she can't develop her area. So she left.”
The Election Commission is expected to announce the election for the Rajya Sabha seat that has become vacant because of her resignation soon. With support from 78 MLAs and 3 independent MLAs, the BJP is likely to win the Rajya Sabha election easily.
