Sitting Kandhamal BJD MP Rudramadhab Ray was suspended for anti-party activities by party supremo Naveen Patnaik on Saturday.
Ray was denied the party ticket to seek re-election from the Kandhamal lok Sabha seat this time and he was replaced by Hemendra Singh of Nayagarh, who was defected from the Congress and had joined the BJD just after the elections were announced.After the announcement of Singh as the BJD candidate, Ray had organised several meetings of his followers in different parts of Kandhamal to pressurise the party leadership to reconsider its decision in his favour.
In another development, BJP State president KV Singh Deo on Saturday suspended party leader Rajeev lochan Sarangi from its primary membership for anti-party activities.He was suspended for contesting against the party’s official candidate in the Khordha Assembly seat.