Bhubaneswar, Sept. 21: An independent member of the Orissa Legislative Assembly from Biramitrapur today filed a petition before President Pratibha Devisingh Patil demanding disqualification of Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, chief minister Naveen Patnaik, ministers Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Puspepndra Singh Deo, legislators Gregory Minz, Shivaji Majhi, Bhimsen Choudhury and Ramesh Rout and Rajya Sabha member Baishanba Charan Parida in connection with the alleged case of horsetrading during the 2010 Rajya Sabha elections.

Political atmosphere in the state was surcharged after the appearance of an audio-cassette in which minister Puspendra Singh Deo is purportedly heard negotiating with a middleman for buying the support of Congress MLA Shibaji Majhi ahead of the June 17, 2010 Rajya Sabha elections.

In the cassette, minister Puspendra Singh Deo is reportedly heard explaining how a deal could be struck to buy the support of Lanjigarh legislator at the instance of energy minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak who was acting on behalf of the second-in-command of the ruling Biju Janata Dal, Pyari Mohan Mohapatra.