BJP MLA Saryu Rai resigns owning party candidate's defeat

Jamshedpur, Sep 2 (UNI) BJP legislator from Jamshedpur West Saryu Rai today submitted his resignation owning moral responsibility of the defeat of party candidate Dinesh Sarangi for Jamshedpur Lok Sabha bypoll.

Mr Sarangi was defeated by the UPA-backed JMM candidate Suman Mahto by more than 58,000 votes.

In a letter to the state party president P.N.Singh Mr Rai said ''I am deeply shocked at the defeat of the party candidate from Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat and more shocking for me that Mr Sarangi also defeated from the assembly segment which I represent. I have been nursing the assembly segment for more than two and half years and it can not be denied that the defeat reflects that the electorates have lack of confidence in our party.'' ''Since I advocate value-based politics and a beleiver in right to recall principle of Jai Prakash Narayan, I feel it is obligatory to tender my resignation as an MLA and seek voters' confidence once again. The party may feel free to renominate me or anybody else as a candidate.''Mr Rai said.

He said since he was going out of the state to attend Assembly Committee meeting hence he sought permission to submit the resignation in papers when he returned and hoped the party would obilige him.

Mr Rai also sent the copies of the letter to the leader of opposition Arjun Munda and the party national general secretary Ranjan Patel.

UNI