Bhubaneswar: Senior BJD leaders, including health minister Pratap Jena, on Friday demanded resignation of the suspended party MP from Kendrapara, Baijayant 'Jay' Panda, even as he reached his constituency to drum up support in his favour.

Addressing a news conference, where Jena was joined on the dais by former ministers, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Bed Prakash Agarwal apart from the BJD's Kendrapara district unit president Dhruba Sahu, the party leaders accused Panda of suppressing the fact that he had been drawing salary as vice-chairman of the Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys (IMFA), a company, which is into mining, ferro alloys and power.

Agarwal, who addressed the media conference, said the MP had concealed the fact about his earnings from the IMFA in his affidavit for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. "We, the people of Kendrapara who elected him, are feeling cheated. He has lost the moral right to continue as an MP," said Agarwal. Almost all the leaders present at the media briefing either belong to Kendrapara district or their constituencies fall within the limits of Kendrapara Lok Sabha seat.

The issue of Panda's earnings from the IMFA had also been brought up by the party with a reference to "conflict of interest" on Wednesday while announcing his suspension from the party. Former minister Nayak said the core issue was that the MP had suppressed facts.

On the other hand, Panda dismissed the allegation as baseless. "I am being paid by a private company. It has nothing to do with office of profit issue." He also asserted that there was no irregularity in his affidavit filed after consultation with top lawyers.

Flanked by around 2,000 supporters, Panda marched through the streets of Kendrapara town and was accorded a warm welcome at street corners. His supporters also organised a bike rally.

"I have come here to visit my constituency and my people. I will have darshan of Lord Baldevjew here and invoke his blessings seeking his direction for the future. In the next two to three days, I will go and pay obeisance to Lord Jagannath in Puri. Then I will decide my next course of action," he said.

In Bhubaneswar, Panda's political secretary Jyoti Prakash Ghosh told a private news channel that the allegations brought against him were an attempt to divert public attention from the Kunduli gang-rape victim suicide case.