Bhubaneswar, Dec. 30: The BJD finds itself in a dilemma over the course of action against nine party councillors, who joined hands with the Congress to dislodge Keonjhar Municipality chairperson Meena Majhi on Monday.

Rural development minister Badri Narayan Patra said the party would suspend the councillors. He said the BJD would also approach the State Election Commission to disqualify them under the anti-defection law. However, no formal announcement for their suspension was made till filing of this report.

"The anti-defection law, which was recently passed in the Assembly, is in force after getting the governor's nod. Now, we will move the commission to initiate action," said urban development minister Puspendra Singh Deo.

The rebel group, however, has threatened legal action to challenge the BJD, claiming that they had resigned before the anti-defection law had come into effect in the urban local bodies. "We had faxed our resignation letters to the party president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik in January. If any action is initiated, we will move the court," said Sushree Sangeeta Nanda, a dissident councillor.

The BJD was left red-faced in Keonjhar on the day Naveen visited the district. The councillors voted against the chairperson despite the party whip, issued on December 27, asking them to remain absent from the no-trust motion.

However, Patra denied that there was any factional feud in the district. "There is no dissidence. It was a different factor - the role of money power," he said, referring to Independent MLA Champua Sanatan Mahakud, a businessman.

A group of Congress leaders, including former MP Madhav Sardar, today joined the BJD. Patra said the two-time MP would be an asset to the party.

However, former Pradesh Congress Committee president and former MLA from the district, Jaydev Jena, said: "All district leaders are united to bring the Congress back to power in the next election."