Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Saturday suspended six MLAs for cross-voting in favour of BJP-backed Independent candidate Dilip Ray in the recently held Rajya Sabha polls.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the political affairs committee presided over by Naveen.
The BJD said the six MLAs were suspended with immediate effect “for their involvement in anti-party activities, including cross-voting in the recent election to Rajya Sabha, violating the principle of the BJD constitution, which mandates absolute loyalty to the party’s collective decision”.
It said the decision was taken after examination of replies to the show-cause notices issued to the MLAs by BJD chief whip in the Assembly, Pramila Mallik.
The suspended MLAs are Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda Assembly constituency), Subasini Jena (Basta), Souvik Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Naba Kishore Mallick (Jaydev), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol) and Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki). The BJD had earlier suspended MLAs Sanatan Mahakud and Arvind Mohapatra for cross-voting.
There were five candidates in the fray for four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha. Eleven cross votes — eight from the BJD and three from the Congress — helped Ray win the fourth seat by defeating eminent urologist Dr Datteswar Hota. Hota was a BJD candidate backed by the Congress and CPM. The ruling BJP won two seats, while the BJD secured only one.
Tripathy and Biswal had earlier expressed discontent with the BJD leadership after Naveen expelled their fathers, Pravat Tripathy and Pravat Biswal, for anti-party activities.
Jena, the wife of former Balasore BJD MP Rabindra Kumar Jena, joined the BJP just ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls. The CBI has chargesheeted the MP in a chit-fund case.
Announcing the BJD’s decision, Mallick said: “The disciplinary committee submitted its report to the party president after the MLAs submitted their replies on the showcause notice served to them. The replies were found to be unsatisfactory. We will move the Speaker to disqualify the membership of those who have betrayed the party and Naveen Patnaik.”
Bhoi said if the leadership wanted to unite the party, it should take all into confidence. “I am unhappy with the way the party is functioning. It will be eradicated from the state,” he added.
Naveen on Saturday sought chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s intervention to restore law and order following an attack on the residence of BJD vice-president Pratap Jena in Bhubaneswar on Friday night, police said.
According to a complaint lodged at the Capital Police Station, Jena’s security staff alleged that around 15 people armed with iron rods, knives and guns attacked the house.
On Friday morning, the party issued a notice signed by Jena suspending 10 members of the party’s youth and student wings on charges of anti-party activities. All of them are reportedly linked to the MLAs who had cross-voted.
Condemning the attack, Naveen on Saturday morning said: “The violence was unleashed by goons at the behest of those who insulted democracy with money during the Rajya Sabha elections. Strict action should be taken immediately and the culprits should be arrested.”
A BJD leader said much had changed in the last 24 years. “New political equations have emerged. Now, Naveen is the Opposition leader and dissent within his party is growing. Keeping the party united is his toughest challenge.”
