Bhubaneswar: BJD parliamentary party leader in the Lok Sabha Bhartruhari Mahtab on Monday requested the Lok Sabha Speaker to accept the resignation of party's Kendrapara MP Baijayanta 'Jay' Panda immediately.

Panda had resigned from the primary membership of the BJD on May 28 and had later tendered his resignation from the membership of Lok Sabha on June 12.

According to the procedure, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had called Panda on July 5 and had reportedly asked him to reconsider his decision. She is believed to have told Panda that she would apply her mind on the issue before taking a decision.

After the meeting Panda had tweeted: "Had a cordial meeting with the Lok Sabha speaker, as is customary, on my quitting BJD & resignation from LS. She was very considerate, enquired into the circumstances, asked me to give it a thought, & said she would apply her mind on it before taking a decision."

In his letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Mahatab said: "Baijayant Panda was elected to Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency of Odisha in the 2014 general elections on the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) symbol and party ticket. He has been consistently engaging himself in anti-party activities as a result of which the party was constrained to suspend him from the party, which fact was duly communicated to your august office."

The letter, written on Monday, was released to media on Tuesday. He informed the Speaker how Panda had voluntarily given up his primary membership of the BJD and resigned from his Lok Sabha seat.

"Since he has voluntarily resigned from the BJD, he cannot continue as a MP as per the terms of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India pertaining to anti-defection provisions," said Mahtab.

Mahatab further added: "In law he stands disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP. But now that he has resigned of his own accord, the proceedings for his disqualification under the Tenth Schedule need not be initiated by our party."

Appealing to the Speaker to accept Panda's resignation, Mahtab stated: "I request you to kindly accept his resignation forth-with, since he ceases to be a MP as per provisions of the Constitution and the law, to that the necessary consequences may obtain and follow." Responding to the BJD's letter, particularly on the portion about "proceedings for his disqualification under the Tenth Schedule need not be initiated by BJD," Panda tweeted: "Not need not, but cannot. Have some self respect. I did."