Bhubaneswar, March 25 -- Former Khallikote MLA Purna Chandra Sethy today resigned from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of elections in Odisha.

He sent a resignation letter in this regard to party supremo Naveen Patnaik.

"With heavy heart, I am submitting my resignation herewith with immediate effect. Thank you very much Sir, for giving me an opportunity to serve under you as well as under the people of Odisha," Sethy wrote in the resignation letter.

"I was not given ticket in 2019. However, I was hopeful that I would get it in 2024. I decided to resign from the BJD after being sidelined in the party," he said in his reaction.

Sethy had successfully contested assembly elections in 2009 and 2014 from the Khallikote constituency as BJD c...