A day before the counting of votes for Jamshedpur parliamentary bypoll, a senior BJP leader Dinesh Sarangi today resigned from the party’s primary membership and executive committee.
“I have faxed my resignation to national BJP president Nitin Gadkari and a copy was forwarded to the state president, Dineshanand Goswami, who was a party candidate for Jamshedpur Lok Sabha bypoll held on July 1,” Mr Sarangi said. Mr Sarangi was state health minister between 2000 to 2005.
When asked why he sent his resignation letter to the national president of the party instead of state unit president, Mr Sarangi said he had discussions with Mr Gadkari during his recent visit to the steel city and had apprised him about his problems in the party.
“I, however, had made clear to him that I would not take any decision regarding my stay in the party till the bypoll was over,” he said.
Mr Sarangi’s resignation was a major jolt for BJP as he has a strong base in Ghatsila sub-division.
When asked, BJP Jharkhand unit spokesman Amarjeet Singh Kale said Sarangi was about to face disciplinary action after bypoll result for indulging in anti-party activities.
Claiming that party will emerge more stronger, Mr Kale said “internal enemies were more dangerous for party than others and Mr Sarangi’s resignation will hardly make an impact”.
Earlier, Mr Sarangi had expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of BJP-led coalition government in Jharkhand.
Mr Sarangi regretted that he had been an obedient party worker for long but party leadership kept on ignoring him whereas no action was initiated against several indisciplined party workers, who were rather rewarded by the leadership.