Bhubaneswar, Sep 12 (NationPress) The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik has taken decisive action by suspending senior leader and former MLA Prafulla Mallik due to his involvement in anti-party activities.

According to an official notification signed by vice president Pratap Jena, "Prafulla Kumar Mallik, Ex MLA from Kamakhyanagar in Dhenkanal district, is hereby suspended from the Biju Janata Dal effective immediately for his actions against the party."

In response, Mallik informed reporters that he had already resigned from the party and communicated his decision to the leadership. He expressed concerns, stating that the BJD has drifted from the foundational ideologies that guided its establishment.

Furthermore, he criticized the party for not fulfilling its responsibilities as the main opposition entity.

Previously, BJD vice president Jena had labeled Mallik as the "Most Opportunist Leader in a Century". Jena pointed out that Mallik had been elected as an MLA four times under the BJD banner, with the party's leader personally campaigning for him. He also accused former Chief Minister Patnaik of appointing Mallik as a minister, giving him significant responsibilities in areas such as Works and Mines.

"However, now that the party is out of power, he has turned against the very organization that fostered his political career. This is a clear indication of his opportunistic nature," Jena remarked.

In a related development, senior BJD leader and former MP N Bhaskar Rao, along with ex-minister Lal Bihari Himirika and several other party members from Rayagada district, resigned from their primary membership of the party on Tuesday.

In his resignation letter addressed to party President Naveen Patnaik, Rao stated, "I hold no grievances against any individual for any reason. With a heavy heart, I submit my resignation from the Biju Janata Dal, marking the end of my active political journey within the party."