Bhubaneswar: BJP leader and former MP M A Kharabela Swain today announced rebel against his own party BJP and said he will contest the upcoming polls from Balasore MP seat as an independent candidate.
They announced this in Balasore a day after BJP re-nominated sitting MP and former Union Minister Pratap Sarangi from Balasore Lok Sabha segment.
Addressing the media, Shri Swain said, “I will contest the polls from Balasore as an independent candidate and rejoin BJP if I win. The party had nominated me from Kandhamal in the previous elections. However, I was interested in fighting from Balasore this time. But due to certain vested interest groups, I was not granted a ticket.”
“I will campaign in support of BJP and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee also. Let the people decide who belongs to the real BJP,” he said, adding, “After winning the election, will convert as a BJP MP.”
Asked whether he will resign from the BJP, Shri Swain said “I have no plans to resign from BJP, although the party has the option to expel me.”
Shri Swain represented Balasore Parliamentary constituency of coastal Odisha from 1998 to 2009 and became a member of 12th, 13th and 14th Lok Sabhas.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, he contested from Kandhamal segment on a BJP ticket but was defeated by BJD candidate Achyutananda Samanta.