Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Adhiraj Mohan Panigrahi, a Khariar MLA, left the Odisha Congress, dealing yet another blow to the organisation. He had sent a letter to PCC president Sarat Pattnayak resigning from his primary membership in Congress. On Wednesday, Panigrahi is probably going to join the BJD.
“I had no dispute with the Congress leadership. I also got due respect from the party. But, the people in my constituency want me to quit Congress. So, I did so respecting wish of the people,” Panigrahi told media.
“I will discuss with my supporters and constituents before deciding my next course of action,” he added.
He made it clear that he would run for office in Khariar in 2024. After working for the Congress party for the last 25 years, Panigrahi claimed that the party had become weaker. He said that the party is now not in a favorable situation.
In 2019, he ran for the Assembly from the Khariar constituency on the Congress platform, and he defeated the BJD candidate who was closest to him, Lambodar Nial, to win the election. Ansuman Mohanty, a Rajnagar MLA, too left the Congress earlier in February and joined the BJD.
