Orissa Assembly

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 9: The Orissa government has decided to register a criminal case against horse trading during Rajya Sabha polls in 2010.

Chief secretary Bijay Patnaik said: “The Election Commission has sent us a CD and a letter written by former MP Braja Kishore regarding the horse trading. Based on the information, we will lodge an FIR. The home secretary has been given necessary instructions.”

Patnaik said the police would delve into the issue and act accordingly.

“Once the probe is over, the police will act against the guilty,” he said, while refusing to divulge further details.

A senior police official said: “The police have not yet received the complaint. We will initiate proceedings after an FIR is lodged. Most likely, it will be filed tomorrow.”

The Orissa government has come under criticism by the Election Commission for its inaction in the case pertaining to MLAs being bribed to vote in the Rajya Sabha polls.

Political atmosphere was surcharged after the appearance of an audio cassette purportedly carrying the conversations between BJD minister Puspendra Singh Deo and others. The minister was heard striking deals with people to buy the support of at least two MLAs. Singh Deo had also indicated involvement of Orissa energy minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak. Moreover, he had named the party’s Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra as part of the efforts to secure votes of MLAs from other parties for Rajya Sabha polls in June 17, 2010.

Subsequently, another audio tape surfaced carrying purported conversations between BJP MLA Jayanaryan Mishra and Tara Ranjan Patnaik, the independent candidate in the polls.

Both the leaders were heard fixing price for a BJP MLA.

Following the outcry, the Orissa government had asked the home department to probe into the matter.

Later, the home department sought the legal experts’ opinion and referred the matter to the Election Commission.

The Opposition parties have been demanding a CBI probe into the matter.