BJD leader who quit Rajya Sabha may join BJP

New Delhi: Mamata Mohanta on Wednesday resigned from Rajya Sabha as well as her party BJD, saying that the party does not need her or her community’s services.

She is likely to join the BJP, sources said. This is the first resignation from BJD after the Naveen Patnaik-led party lost heavily in Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Odisha.

Rajya Sabha was informed about Mohanta’s resignation by Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.

“She resigned her seat by writing to the chairman under her hand and handed it to me. The same I find to be constitutionally in order. I have accepted the resignation of Shrimati Mamata Mohanta, member representing the state of Odisha, with immediate effect,” Dhankhar said.

A bypolls for the Rajya Sabha would see a BJP nominee romping home easily as the BJP has the majority in Odisha Assembly.

In her letter to Patnaik, she said, “she expressed her gratitude for giving her an opportunity to serve the people of Mayurbhanj and also take up the cause of Odisha at national level.

"However, I feel that there is no requirement of the services of myself as well as my community in the BJD. Therefore, I have taken this hard decision in the public interest,” 48-year-old MP, who has a tenure of 21 more months in Rajya Sabha, said.