Odisha: Jacob Pradhan, 3 ex-legislators quit Congress

Bhubaneswar: Yet another jolt to the Opposition Congress in Odisha, one more sitting MLA and three former legislators quit the grand old party  on Wednesday ahead of Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

Jacob Pradhan, sitting Congress MLA of G Udaygiri seat in Kandhamal district, resigned from the party a day after filing nomination as an Independent candidate from the same seat.

The Congress party fielded Shyamaghana Pradhan from G Udaygiri, ignoring senior party leader Pradhan.

Besides, three former MLAs of Kalahandi district- Gobardhan Das, Kumar Mani Sabar and Jugaram Behera sent a single resignation letter to Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik.

Das, Sabar and Behera are former MLAs of Junagarh, Narla and Dharmagarh assembly constituencies respectively.

Earlier, four sitting MLAs – Nabakishore Das of Jharsuguda, Jogesh Singh of Sundergarh, Krushna Chandra Sagaria of Koraput and Prakash Behera of Salipur have resigned from the Congress in last few months.

Odisha will go for simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections in four phases beginning April 11.

The ensuing simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha are slated to be held in four phases starting from April 11.

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