Bhubaneswar, Jul 31 (IANS): Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Mamata Mohanta on Wednesday resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the primary membership of the party.

“I do hereby tender my resignation from the membership of Rajya Sabha. I have taken this decision consciously. I express my gratitude to your good self for the opportunities given to me to raise issues of public importance in the House,” she wrote in a letter addressed to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who later informed the House that Mohanta's resignation has been accepted with immediate effect.

The senior BJD leader was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in April 2020. Her membership was scheduled to end in April 2026.

Mohanta has been a member of the Mayurbhanj Zilla Parishad from 2012 to 2017. She is also a social activist and leader of the Kudmi community in Mayurbhanj district.

Mohanta resigned from the BJD citing that the party no longer requires her service.

She also thanked BJD President Naveen Patnaik for allowing her to serve the state and Mayurbhanj district by nominating her to the Rajya Sabha.

In a letter to Patnaik, Mohanta said, “I do hereby resign from the Primary Membership of Biju Janata Dal. I sincerely express my gratitude to your good self for giving me an opportunity to serve the people of Mayurbhanj and also to take up the cause of Odisha at the national level. However, I feel that there is no requirement of the services of myself as well as my community in the Biju Janata Dal. Therefore, I have taken this hard decision in public interest."