BHUBANESHWAR: With the upcoming Lok Sabha elections only a few months away, ruling BJD’s Lok Sabha member from Dhenkanal, Tathagat Satpathy, has announced his decision to quit politics, sparking a buzz in political circles here.
Satpathy’s decision has come amidst reports that the ruling BJD is not going to re-nominate some of the MPs for the ensuing elections.
Sources maintained that the sitting MP has decided not to contest elections anymore to concentrate on journalism. He will soon meet Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik to apprise him about his decision.
Speculation of Satpathy taking sanyas from electoral politics started making rounds on Monday, after he attended an 11-day ritual (shraddha) of an acquaintance in Angul district along with members of all the seven assembly segments and later tweeted that he happily bid adieu to them.
“Today at Bhakti babu’s mother’s 11th Day after death, Angul. Huge gathering. Nearly my total gang(all not in photo) from all 7 Assembly segments was invited/present. Lunched and happily bid Adieu to all,” he tweeted.
The Lok Sabha member, however, said he is not going to join any other party as he has great respect for the Chief Minister and is happily quitting.
Though Satpathy was not available for comment for the New Indian Express, speculation is rife that the MP’s wife Adyasha Satpathy will replace him as the BJD candidate from the Dhenkanal Lok Sabha constituency.
As the chief minister had launched the campaign for 33 percent reservation of seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies, a large number of women are going to fielded by the BJD in the upcoming elections.