Suspended BJP MLA appears at matric exam

Suspended Odisha BJP leader and MLA Bhimsen Choudhury was among about five lakh candidates who appeared at the annual high school certificate examination today.
Born in 1962, Choudhury represents Bonai assembly seat reserved for tribal candidates in Sundergarh district. His qualification in the Assembly record is "under-matric".
Father of four children, Choudhury wrote the examination at Raja Dharanidhar High School at Bonai.
He appeared at the examination as an ex-regular candidate, an official of the Board of Secondary Education (BOSE) said, adding that on the first day the MLA appeared in the paper on Odiya language.
Though the first phase of the Budget Session of the Assembly continued till today from February 14, Choudhury was not attending the proceedings due to his examination. "He is serious about the examination," an MLA colleague said.

Choudhury was suspended from BJP on charge of defying the party whip in the last Rajya Sabha elections. He was accused of deliberately abstaining from the RS elections to pave way for victory of ruling BJD candidate. Choudhury, however, denied the charge.