The ruling BJD today suspended the party's Koraput district president and former MP Jayram Pangi on charge of anti-party activities.

Party president Naveen Patnaik took this step following a clash between two groups of BJD workers over selection of candidate for the chairperson's post in Koraput.

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"Pangi has been suspended from the party on charge of anti-party activities," BJD secretary Priyadarshi Mishra said in a statement.

Earlier, Pangi had suspended BJD's elected Zilla Parishad member Dumuri Khila from the party, for abstaining from voting for the ZP chairman post held today.

Khila, who was aspiring to become chairman of the Zilla Parishad from Koraput district, and his supporters allegedly burnt BJD's flag after Prabhu Jali was chosen as the party's ZP chairman candidate in Koraput.

Khila alleged that the party's district president (Pangi) made Jali as the candidate for the Zilla Parishad chairman though Jali had joined the party only some days ago.

On this, Pangi said that the BJD district leadership has been kept in the dark on the party's ZP chairman candidate decision.