Bhubaneswar: The BJD on Wednesday suspended its Kendrapara MP Baijayant 'Jay' Panda for "anti-party activities".
Announcing the decision, party vice-president and food and civil supplies minister Surya Narayan Patro said: "Panda's conduct during the PRI (panchayati raj institutions) elections in which he did not campaign for the party candidates even in his own constituency and instead indulged in anti-party activities supporting Opposition candidates was totally against the interest of the party."
He also referred to the conflict of interest saying that the MP was the vice-chairman of Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys, a company which is into mining, ferro alloys and power and had drawn annual salary and allowances of over rupees one crore in 2014.
Expressing shock at the party's decision, Panda tweeted: "*I'm shocked at this news *Very very sad @Naveen_Odisha didn't see thru the conspiracy agnst me led by an IAS ofcr now controlling th party *I vehemently deny the allegations agnst me, they are entirely false & baseless *I will pray to Jagannath for guidance b4 i respond further."
Panda, 54, who hails from one of the leading business families of the state, had fallen out of favour with Naveen Patnaik after he made veiled attacks at the chief minister's private secretary and powerful bureaucrat V. Karthikeyan Pandian.
Panda's tiff with Pandian seems to have begun after he was attacked with eggs and stones in May last year during the inauguration of an overhead water tank at Jatiparilo village in his constituency.
The MP had then hinted at the involvement of some high-profile bureaucrats behind the incident. "Some babus sitting in the airconditioned rooms have started deciding party activities leading to indiscipline. These are not good signs," he had said.
The suspension seemed coming after leaders from Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency lodged complaints against Panda with Naveen. He deputed two senior leaders - Usha Devi and Pramilla Mallick - to look into the complaints. The reports seem to have gone against him.
