Two ministers quit Patnaik govt, to take oath in RS

Two members of the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha have tendered their resignations and are set to take oath as Rajya Sabha members on April 23.

A government notification said the resignations of Panchayati Raj and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kalpataru Das and Handloom, Textile and Handicraft Minister Sarojini Hembram have been accepted by Governor S C Jamir.

BJD sources said both Das and Hembram will also resign from the membership of Odisha assembly.

Earlier, both the ministers had submitted their resignation letters to the Chief Minister, who will now be in charge of the two departments held by them.

Das and Hembram were elected to Rajya Sabha in February and are scheduled to take oath as its members on April 23.

However, BJD MLA A U Singhdeo who was also elected to Rajya Sabha along with Das and Hembram will resign as member of Parliament.

Patnaik, who is also the BJD president confirmed it.

Singhdeo will resign his Rajya Sabha seat as he is a BJD candidate from Balangir assembly seat where polling was held on April 10.