Biju Janata Dal MP Mamata Mohanta quits party, resigns from Rajya Sabha

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Member of Parliament Mamata Mohanta on Wednesday tendered her resignation from Rajya Sabha. The move is seen as the first significant setback to the regional party which lost power in Odisha after 24 years.

Ms. Mohanta has resigned from her primary membership in the BJD, sparking speculation about her next move. Her resignation has been accepted leading decrease in the number of BJD members in the Rajya Sabha from nine to eight.

“I have received a letter from Mamata Mohanta from Odisha on July 31, resigning from her seat in Rajya Sabha. She has addressed the chairperson in her resignation letter and handed it personally to me. The same I find to be constitutionally in order. I have accepted resignation of Ms Mohanta with immediate effect,” Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar announced in the Upper House.