By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Orissa’s ruling Biju Janata Dal Thursday denied nomination to former union minister and senior leader Braja Kishor Tripathy, triggering his resignation from the party.
Tripathy’s name was missing from the second list of candidates the party announced for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls.
Tripathy, a three-time legislator from Puri assembly seat and four times MP from Puri Lok Sabha constituency, was hoping re-nomination to the Lok Sabha for the fifth term.
“I never expected this after 30 years of association with the party,” an angry Tripathy, who was union minister of state (independent charge) for steel from 2000-2004, told reporters.
Tripathy later resigned from the party and people close to him said he may join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Orissa will go to polls in two phases April 16 and 23 to elect 147 members to the assembly and 21 members to the Lok Sabha.