In a significant setback to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), its MP Mamata Mahanta resigned from the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, two years before the end of her tenure. The leader from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj also resigned from the regional party, citing “public interest” as her reason for the “hard decision.”
Her resignation, described by party colleagues as “sudden and unexpected,” comes at a time when the BJD has intensified its criticism of the Narendra Modi government. Following defeats in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the BJD announced it would no longer provide “issue-based support” to the NDA government and would instead act as a “strong and vibrant” opposition in Parliament. This marked a shift from their previous stance prior to the election losses.
Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar confirmed Mahanta’s resignation in the House, stating that she had personally handed him a letter of resignation, which he accepted immediately as it was constitutionally in order.
Speculation suggests that Mamata Mahanta might join the BJP. Notably, she attended the morning session of the Rajya Sabha just hours before her resignation. With her departure, the BJD’s representation in the Rajya Sabha has decreased to eight members. The BJP has one Rajya Sabha member from Odisha, Ashwini Vaishnaw, who was elected earlier this year.
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In her resignation letter to the party, Mamata Mahanta expressed gratitude to BJD chief Naveen Patnaik for the opportunity to serve the people of Mayurbhanj and represent the state at the national level. However, she stated, “I feel that there is no requirement of the services of myself as well as my community in the Biju Janata Dal. Therefore, I have taken this hard decision in public interest.”
Mamata Mahanta, 47, belongs to the Kudumi caste, a backward community with a significant presence in the Mayurbhanj region. She was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 2020 alongside three other BJD members. Her nomination, as a grassroots leader and a lesser-known figure at the time, had surprised many.
A graduate, she served as a zilla parishad member from 2012-2017 and was the president of the BJD’s women wing in the tribal-dominated district. She was also involved in the self-help group movement in Mayurbhanj under the Patnaik government’s Mission Shakti initiative.
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The BJD, which suffered setbacks in Mayurbhanj in 2019 by losing six of nine assembly seats and the Lok Sabha seat, had aimed to regain its stronghold with a revised strategy, which included Mahanta’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha in 2020. Despite performing well in the 2022 panchayat polls in Mayurbhanj, the party was wiped out in the recent Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
