Former Bargarh MP Prabhas Singh quits BJD over ‘ticket denial’

Bhubaneswar: Former Bargarh MP Prabhas Kumar Singh resigned from the BJD, reportedly upset over being denied a party ticket for the upcoming elections in Odisha.

He tendered his resignation letter to BJD president Naveen Patnaik, he wrote: “During my tenure with the BJD, I have strived to uphold values of discipline and dedication, delivering my best in every capacity. However, after careful consideration due to various intricacies and difficulties, I believe it is in the best interest of all parties involved that I step down from my position.”

Singh had won the Bargarh LS seat in 2014 elections by defeating BJP’s Subash Chouhan by a margin of 11,178 votes. The BJD fielded senior leader Prasanna Acharya from the seat in 2019 but he lost to BJP’s Suresh Pujari by 63,939 votes. While Singh was hopeful of repeating the 2014 feat, the party went for new entrant and a political greenhorn, Parineeta Mishra.