WATCH: BJD Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Mahanta Resigns from Parliament, Party

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: In an unexpected turn of events, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha member Mamata Mahanta has stepped down from both her parliamentary seat and party membership. The announcement came on Wednesday, sending ripples through Odisha’s political landscape.

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankar informed the Upper House that he had received and accepted Mahanta’s resignation with immediate effect. The move comes as a surprise, considering Mahanta had 18 months remaining in her six-year term, which began in April 2020.

Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Mohanta’s resignation is accepted by Chairman #JagdeepDhankhar.@VPIndia #budgetsession2024 #RajyaSabha pic.twitter.com/EVsVmrFazb

— SansadTV (@sansad_tv) July 31, 2024

In her resignation letter to BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Mahanta cited a perceived lack of need for her services and those of her community within the party. “I feel that there is no requirement of the services of myself as well as my community in the BJD,” she wrote, hinting at possible underlying tensions or dissatisfaction.

This sudden departure has caught the regional party off guard and raises questions about internal dynamics within the BJD.