In a big blow to the Biju Janata Dal, Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Mahanta, a prominent leader of the Kudumi community in Odisha, resigned from the Rajya Sabha as well as the primary membership of the party two years before her Rajya Sabha tenure was 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. With her resignation, BJD’s strength in the Upper House has been reduced to 8.
The 48-year-old Mahanta was elected to the Upper House of Parliament from Odisha as a member of the Biju Janata Dal in March 2020. She was elected unopposed among the four candidates for the four seats from Odisha in 2020.
Taking to her handle on X, Mahanta tweeted, “I sincerely express my gratitude for giving me an opportunity 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 did not have any independence in spending her MPLAD fund as she had to follow the diktats of a senior party leader in this regard. Mahanta is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) soon.
The BJD had chosen Mahanta, a woman leader from the Kudumi caste (an OBC group), as part of the effort to rebuild the party’s base in tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district where BJP bettered BJD in 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. In Odisha, the 25-lakh strong Kudumi community is mostly seen in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundergarh and Sambalpur districts where they can impact the poll results. In Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar, the Kudumis have traditionally been BJP supporters.
{{/usCountry}}The BJD had chosen Mahanta, a woman leader from the Kudumi caste (an OBC group), as part of the effort to rebuild the party’s base in tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district where BJP bettered BJD in 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. In Odisha, the 25-lakh strong Kudumi community is mostly seen in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundergarh and Sambalpur districts where they can impact the poll results. In Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar, the Kudumis have traditionally been BJP supporters.
{{/usCountry}}Election to the Rajya Sabha seat falling vacant due to her resignation is likely to be notified by ECI soon. With 78 MLAs and 3 independent MLAs supporting it, BJP is likely to sail through in the Rajya Sabha polls.