The president of the Biju Janata Dal, Naveen Patnaik, has expelled two MLAs, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and Sudhansu Sekhar Parida, for engaging in activities that go against the party. Naveen informed reporters that Sudhansu Sekhar Parida is from Remuna and Soumya Ranjan Patnaik is from Khandapada.
Earlier, on September 12, Soumya Ranjan was removed from his position as the party’s vice-president. As the editor of an Odia daily, he wrote two editorials criticizing his own party. This recent action against Soumya Ranjan comes after the Odisha Police’s Economic Offence Wing registered a case against him for cheating and fraud, among other charges.
Sudhansu Sekhar Parida, the MLA from Remuna, has been accused of misappropriating government subsidy worth Rs 3 crore that was intended for farmers.