More than four months after his arrest by the CBI in connections with the chit fund scam, suspended Banki BJD MlA Pravat Tripathy was back in the State Assembly on Wednesday to attend the second phase of the Budget Session.
Though he was suspended from the party right after his arrest, apparently nothing much has changed for him politically. This was obvious from both his body language and his statements. He was seen walking on the Assembly corridors holding hands with Excise and Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout.
“Even though I am a suspended member, as an MlA, I adhere to the BJD ideologically. I have been doing politics since my student days and have followed the ideals of Biju Patnaik. Not just the BJD, even Congress and BJP members greeted me, sympathised with me and welcomed me back,” Tripathy told reporters.