Senior BJP leader Dillip Ray resigns from MLA post as well as party’s primary membership
Bhubaneswar, November 30:
In a significant political development former union Minister and BJP MLA from Rourkela Assembly Dillip Ray Friday resigned from the Assembly seat as well as from the party.
Ray, a four-time MLA from Rourkela, met Speaker P K Amat and tendered his resignation from the party which was accepted by the Speaker.
Taking to tweeter, Ray said, ” with deep anguish I have decided to quit from the MLA seat as well as from the membership of the BJP.”The Odisha Assembly Speaker later told newsmen that Mr Ray met him at his Assembly chamber and submitted his resignation from the Rourkela Assembly seat.
The Speaker said Ray had followed all procedures in submitting the resignation letter and he had accepted it.
He further said the Assembly has issued notification about the resignation of Ray and the Election Commission has been communicated about it.
Ray started his political career during 1982 when he was elected as the chairman of the then Rourkela Notified Council.
He was elected as MLA from Rourkela Constituency from two terms consecutively during 198590 and 199095.
He served as Minister of Industries in the Janata Dal Government (199095) which was headed by Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
Dilip Ray was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Odisha in 1996 and continued to be the member of the house for two consecutive terms from 19962002 and 20022008.
As a parliament member he held Union Minister of state for Animal Husbandry, Food Processing, Coal , Parliamentary affairs and Steel .
Ray who held late Biju Patnaik as his mentor and guide, played a leading role in the foundation of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha after the demise of Biju Patnaik.
However, of late he had differences with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and resigned from the Biju Janata Dal and joined the BJP.
He was elected to the Rourkela Assembly seat as BJP candidate in the 2014 Assembly election.
Ray was unhappy with the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as despite his repeated appeals for the construction of the second bridge over Brahmni river and upgradation of IGH hospital in his constituency to a Super Specialty Hospital did not materialize.
Modi had promised to the people of Rourkela to construct a second bridge on Brahmni river, a longstanding demand of the people and upgrade the IGH hospital to a Super Specialty Hospital.
.Ray was also peeved as a CBI case was registered against him during the present NDA government in connection with the alleged allotment of coal blocks when he was holding the coal ministry as minister of state (independent )charge.