Jamshedpur: A day before the counting of votes for Jamshedpur parliamentary bypoll, a senior BJP leader and former Jharkhand Health Minister Dr Dinesh Sarangi on Sunday 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", Dr Sarangi said.
Asked why he sent his resignation letter to the national president of the party instead of state unit president, Sarangi said he had discussions with Gadkari during
his recent visit to the steel city and had apprised him about his problems in the party.
"I, however, had made it clear to him that I would not take any decision regarding my stay in the party till the bypoll was over", he said.
Sarangi's resignation was a major jolt for BJP as he has a strong base in Ghatsila sub-division. Sarangi was the state health minister between 2000 to 2005.
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 stronger, Kale said "internal enemies were more dangerous for party than others and Sarangi’s resignation will hardly make an impact on the party".
Earlier, Sarangi had expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of BJP-led coalition government in Jharkhand.
Sarangi had represented the Baharagora assembly seat before he lost to the JMM?s Bidyut Baran Mahto in the last election.
Sarangi regetted 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.
To a query about the performance of the Arjun Munda-led coalition government, Sarangi said he was not satisfied with it as people were fast losing faith in the government.
"I was really surprised to see BJP, which despite being a national party, mortgaged itself to a regional party", Sarangi said referring the party forging alliance with JMM in the state.
The decision of the party leadership will prove "suicidal" for BJP in the days to come, he warned while expressing his dissatisfaction over the party central
leadership on the issue.
"Right now, I have not yet decided what to do next", Saragi said when asked whether he had any plan to join Babulal Marandi-led Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik).
PTI
First Published: Sunday, July 03, 2011, 15:30