Jatni: The chairman of the Jatni municipality, Sangram Keshari Routray and six other councillors Sunday resigned from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The other councillors who quit the saffron party were Anupama Dehury, Soumendra Patnaik, Chinmayee Samantray, Annapurna Das, Biranchi Narayan Sethi and Rahima Bibi.
All the seven persons sent their resignation letters to BJP state president Basant Panda January 14, Routray said at a press conference here Sunday. They were ignored by the party prompting them to take the step, Routray said.
“In the last civic election, not a single BJP candidate was elected to the municipality. However, we were moved by the great slogan like Sabka Saath Sabka Vikash by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and joined the saffron party in 2015. It was after joining the party, we discovered that the development claims were largely limited to slogans only,” Routray said.
“Our prime objective was to develop Jatni town through various central schemes. We had repeatedly demanded the Centre include Jatni under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), but to no avail. Even the party’s two Union ministers who belong to the state did not come to attend any function or meeting of the civic body despite repeated invitations,” Routray said.
“At a time when there was not a single BJP councillor in the municipality, I had joined the party along with six councillors. However, the party did not give me the minimum respect I deserve. I felt suffocated while being in the party. There are many others in the party who feel like me, but are maintaining silence,” Routray maintained.
Asked about his plan to join any other party, Routray said he has not thought about it as of now. He claimed that even as he was supporting the BJP, the state government never ignored the municipality. “The aid from the state government has immensely helped the development of the town,” Routray added.
Speaking about it, BJP spokesperson Sudipta Ray said, “Routray had not been participating in any party activities for a long time despite prior information. The resignation is just a drama ahead of Bijepur by-election.”
“Routray had indulged in anti-party activities during panchayat polls and removed the photographs of PM Narendra Modi and party symbols put up in front of his office.” Ray said.
PNN
