Mumbai, May 28: Speculations about MP Jay Panda plan to quit Biju Janata Dal(BJD) has now turned true; the Odisha regional party MP Panda has officially resigned. In a letter to Odisha CM and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, he wrote, "It's with deep anguish, hurt and sorrows that I have decided to quit the politics into which our BJD has descended," He also mentioned that he would soon formally convey his decision to the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

Amid his resignation, speculations are now being made that Panda is likely to join Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). Those in the political sphere are questioning whether it was internal party discord or his plan to shift to BJP that made him quit.

Panda has been the MP since 2000 and was one of the senior leaders of BJD. His decision to resign from the party has dealt a significant blow to the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD party in Odisha.

He was suspended earlier from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect for 'anti-party activities' by CM Patnaik. Following his action, Patnaik said that Panda's conduct during the Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI) elections was entirely against the interests of the BJD and its functionaries who have been responsible for sending him to the Parliament four times.

He further alleged that Panda did not campaign for the party candidates even in his constituency during the PRI elections. Therefore he was suspended. On contrary Panda denied the allegations and called them false and baseless. In May 2017, he was also sacked from the post of BJD spokesperson after he criticised his party and had a Twitter spat with party colleague Tathagat Satpathy.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 28, 2018 01:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).