BJD suspends six MLAs for "anti-party activities, cross-voting" in Rajya Sabha polls

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], March 21 : The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday suspended its six MLAs for "anti-party activities, including cross-voting" in the recent Rajya Sabha elections in the state.

A BJD release said that the party's Disciplinary Committee examined the replies of the MLA to the show cause notice issued to them.

It said the six MLAs had violated "the core principle" of the BJD Constitution.

The Political Affairs Committee meeting of BJD was held under the chairmanship of BJD Chief and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

"Pursuant to the show cause notices issued by the Chief Whip, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the replies received from the MLA's, due examination of the replies by the BJD Disciplinary Committee and as per the decision taken in Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of BJD today, the following MLA's of BJD are hereby suspended from the party with immediate effect 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 BJD release said.

The suspended MLAs are Chakramani Kanhar of Baliguda, Naba Kishore Mallick of Jayadev, Souvic Biswal of Choudwar-Cuttack, Subasini Jena of Basta, Ramakanta Bhoi of Tirtol, and Devi Ranjan Tripathy of Banki.

The BJP won two seats from Odisha in the Rajya Sabha polls, while an independent candidate, Dilip Ray, supported by the party, was also elected.

BJD candidate Santrup Mishra was elected while Dutteshwar Hota, who has the support of BJD, Congress and CPI (M), was defeated.

BJD leaders had accused the BJP of indulging in "horse trading".

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