The party had earlier issued show-cause notices to the MLAs, and their replies were reviewed by its disciplinary committee. The political affairs committee (PAC) then decided to suspend them. (Special Arrangment)
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday suspended six MLAs who cross-voted in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha polls.
The suspended legislators are Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda), Naba Kishor Mallick (Jayadev), Souvic Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Subasini Jena (Basta), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol) and Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki).
“The MLAs are suspended for their involvement in anti-party activities including cross voting in the recent election to Rajya Sabha, violating the core principle of BJD Constitution which mandates absolute loyalty to the party’s collective decisions,” the suspension order signed by party president Naveen Patnaik said.
The party had earlier issued show-cause notices to the MLAs, and their replies were reviewed by its disciplinary committee. The political affairs committee (PAC) then decided to suspend them.
The six legislators— along with two previously suspended MLAs Arvind Mohapatra and Sanatan Mahakud — voted against noted urologist Datteswar Hota, fielded as a common candidate by the BJD and the Congress for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat, where no party had clear numbers.
Cross-voting by eight BJD MLAs, along with three Congress legislators, helped hotelier and former Union minister Dilip Ray win the fourth seat.
Some BJD legislators also invoked the ‘Biju legacy’ to justify backing Ray, a close confidant of former CM and Naveen Patnaik’s father, Biju Patnaik.
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Speaking to reporters after the PAC meeting, BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik said the action would not stop at suspension. “We will also write to the speaker of Odisha Assembly to cancel their membership as they didn’t comply to party directive. We will also initiate legal procedure for cancellation of these legislators,” Mallik said.
The PAC also discussed the row over two BJP MLAs—Upasana Mohapatra and Purna Chandra Sethy—being issued two ballot papers during voting.
“As I was the agent during voting, I objected to this but the Election Commission didn’t listen to it. Issuance of second ballot is against the rule. Their votes should have been rejected but it was counted as valid votes. The BJD will also fight it legally challenging the poll process,” said Mallik.
With the suspension, the party’s strength in the state Assembly has come down to 42. The move is likely to trigger a rift among grassroots workers, with BJD sources indicating the party may mobilise workers against the six MLAs in their constituencies.
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Earlier, the Congress had also suspended its three MLAs—Sofia Firdous, Ramesh Jena and Dasarathi Gomango—for cross-voting.
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