Odisha Jan Morcha chief and retiring Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra on Friday expressed his gratitude to his erstwhile party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and its supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the Upper House.
Mohapatra, who will retire on July 1 before the next Parliament Session, while delivering his farewell speech in the Upper House said, “I will be failing in my duty if I do not thank my erstwhile party BJD and its leader and my present adversary Naveen Patnaik for sponsoring me for the Rajya Sabha twice.”
Mohapatra was first suspended and subsequently expelled from the BJD for allegedly plotting a failed coup to unseat Chief Minister Patnaik on May 29 in 2012.
Besides Mohapatra, Baishnab Parida and Bhupinder Singh, all from the BJD, also made farewell speeches. Parida made his speech in Odia.