Bhubaneswar: After waiting for few days, the Governing Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which is known for its discipline, has taken action against its senior leader and Khandapada Lawmaker, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik.
Shri Patnaik has been removed from the post of Vice-President of the Governing Party with immediate effect, BJD Supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in an order on Tuesday.
Shri Patnaik has been criticizing the State Government, its policies and style of functioning of the Government and also the party through his newspaper articles, and media statements.
Senior BJD leaders like Arun Sahoo, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Pratap Deb and Amar Patnaik reacted to all his statements and appealed to him to quit the party. However, the MLA did not agree to it and said he will continue to remain in the party.
So, finally, the BJD Big Boss has removed him from the VP position in the party. Now, he can continue as a primary member of the BJD, party sources said.
In March 2018, Shri Patnaik had joined the Governing party and soon he was sent to Rajya Sabha by the ruling party. Later, during the last Assembly election, Shri Patnaik resigned from the RS and decided to fight the Assembly poll from Khandapada seat. For the first time, he was elected to the Assembly in 2019.
Soumya, who is the son-in-law of former CM J B Patnaik and younger brother of former state Congress President Niranjan Patnaik. He had earlier served in the BJP and Congress. He had also floated his own political outfit Ama Odisha, but could not succeed.
