Priyanka Gandhi leads in Wayanad, BJP ahead in Palakkad Assembly seat
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who made her poll debut from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, was leading in the early trends on Saturday.
The high-flying MP Baijayant Panda on Tuesday tendered his resignation from the Lok Sabha. He sent his letter to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
“In letter to Naveen Patnaik on my intent to dissociate from BJD, I’d said on completion of my father’s kriyas I’d resign from LS. The day after they ended, I sought to meet Hon’ Speaker as per custom. It wasn’t possible & i understand she’s since gone abroad, so I’ve had it delivered,” Panda tweeted on Tuesday.
It may be recalled that Panda had earlier resigned from the BJD on 28 May.
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He had also aired his anguish over the fact that none from the BJD had attended his father’s funeral and some were allegedly prevented from doing so. The mean and petty mindedness of such acts show the abysmal depths to which the BJD had plunged, he had said.
Panda has been alleging that the party and government is being controlled by a non-Odia bureaucrat. His allegations of goondaism and corruption in the party had at the same time trying to target a bureaucrat while not uttering a word against CM Naveen Patnaik made people wonder whether the CM was a puppet in the hands of the bureaucrat.
The charge had been denied by the CM who asserted that he is a full command. Speculations are that Panda is keen on joining the BJP, but has been kept ‘hanging’ as one section which dominates the BJP scene in Odisha does not want another high profile person like Panda.
Moreover, Panda does not have any mass following in the state, noted the faction within the BJP. Apparently, to exert pressure on the BJP leadership which was delaying his induction, Panda had recently told a television channel that he was keeping all options open.
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