Gunupur MLA Trinath Gomango quits BJD

Trinath Gomango, a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA from Gunupur, resigned from his post on Monday.

Gomango resigned from primary membership of the BJD alleging that the party neglected him and did not invite him to a party program that was held in his constituency.

In his resignation letter, Gomango also accused the Naveen Patnaik government of being "apathetic and insensitive" towards tribals in the region.

Gomango had joined the BJD in 2009. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he contested and emerged victorious from Gunupur.

Last week, another BJD leader Balabhadra Majhi had quit the party and joined the BJP after being 'neglected' by the BJD.

"I have submitted my resignation letter to party chief Naveen Patnaik. As a sitting MP, I was not called in the party meeting. I was being ignored for the past few days. People involved in the decision-making body are not informing me. I think BJD does not need me anymore. This is about my self-respect," Majhi had told reporters here on March 14.

Lok Sabha and Assembly polls will be held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases, beginning from April 11. The last phase of polling in Odisha, which has 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 Assembly seats at stake, will take place on April 29.