Bhubaneswar: A senior Congress leader in Odisha, Rajkishore Behera on Thursday quit the Congress party ahead of bye-poll for Tirtol Assembly segment in Jagatsinghpur district.
Behera sent a resignation letter addressed to the president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), Niranjan Patnaik.
“Please accept this letter as my formal notice of resignation from the primary membership of Indian National Congress, effective from today. I am deeply appreciative of numerous opportunities given to me to serve the people of Tirtol constituency in particular and people of Odisha in general,” Behera said in the letter.
Behera had unsuccessfully contested the 2009 and 2014 Assembly elections from Tirtol as a Congress candidate.
The speculations are rife that Behera may join Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and contest the ensuing Tirtol by-poll as a saffron candidate.
Ms Kalinga