Bhubaneswar: Senior BJD leader and four-time MP Tathagata Satpathy Tuesday announced his decision to quit active politics to refocus on journalism.
Satpathy, the BJD chief whip in Lok Sabha, made public his decision in a tweet Monday at the 11th day function of a person of his constituency (Dhenkanal), saying he was “bidding adieu”. Tuesday he made a formal announcement here, stating that he will soon meet Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik to apprise him about his decision.
“There is a need for more fearless voices in journalism now. I am distancing myself from politics to refocus on journalism. I am grateful to my leader Naveen Patnaik for his support all these years. I have realised that politics is not the only means to support people,” he tweeted.
There is a need for more fearless voices in journalism now. Distancing myself from politics to refocus on journalism. Grateful to my leader Shri Naveen Patnaik for his support all these years. Realised that politics is not the only means to support people.1/1
— Office of T Satpathy (@SatpathyLive) March 5, 2019
Stating that social leadership is lacking in this country, the senior MP said, “There is also a dire need to leave space for young change makers and policy formulators. My son’s insistence that I quit politics won.”
In his comments, Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani said, “Someone eligible like him (Satpathy) should contest election. I think people will force him to contest election like they do with me as we have always worked in the interest of people.”
It was in 1990 when Tathagata tasted his first political success after he joined Janata Dal in 1989 and was elected from Dhenkanal Sadar assembly seat. In 1998, he was elected to Lok Sabha for the first time from Dhenkanal, but suffered a defeat in 1999 general election.
A year later he quit BJD to join Bijoy Mohapatra’s nascent Odisha Gana Parishad (OGP) where he was secretary general. He quit OGP when it was made a political party. Satpathy, one of the most articulate parliamentarians of the country, joined BJD a month before the 2004 LS election. Since then he has never lost from Dhenkanal.