Braja Kishore Tripathy

Bhubaneswar, May 13: Former Union minister Braja Kishore Tripathy today floated a new political party called Samata Kranti Dal (SMD).

Biramitrapur MLA and tribal leader from Sundergarh district George Tirkey has been appointed its new president.

Tripathy said the party would fight against rising corruption and alleviate the sufferings of people. “We will raise this issue before the public. The party will play a crucial role in the coming Assembly elections. We will work to protect the farmer’s interest,” he said.

Claiming that the party would be one with a difference, Tripathy said the new outfit was not for alliance either with the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD or the Congress. “We have already approached the Election Commission of India for the status of a political party. The formalities will be completed soon,” he said.

Tripathy, a former stalwart of BJD, was a cabinet minister in the NDA government. After his relationship soured with Naveen, he resigned from the BJD and joined the BJP. Later, he quit the BJP too.