Summary:
He quit BJD in 2006.Speculation is rife the Congress may field Tirkey as candidate for Sundargarh Lok Sabha seat in 2019. Tirkey said he will work to defeat the "corrupt" BJD government in Odisha and BJP in Centre. But after being denied ticket in 2004, he had unsuccessfully contested for the Sundargarh Lok Sabha seat and Biramitrapur assembly constituency as an Independent. Tirkey had joined BJD in 2002. Both BJD and BJP failed to resolve Mahanadi crisis," Patnaik said..