News
BJD Suspends Six Odisha MLAs for Cross-Voting in Rajya Sabha Election
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) suspended six MLAs for voting for a BJP-backed independent candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls. BJD will seek their disqualification and challenge alleged procedural irregularities during the election.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) suspended six Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on Saturday after they voted for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-backed Independent candidate Dilip Ray in the Rajya Sabha polls. BJD president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik took action based on recommendations from the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC). The PAC examined the legislators' replies to show-cause notices. The six MLAs, in separate but similarly worded replies on Friday, had challenged the notices. The legislators cited Supreme Court precedent, Election Commission guidelines, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, arguing that political parties cannot issue whips in Rajya Sabha elections.
Key Facts
- The BJD suspended MLAs Chakramani Kanhar, Naba Kishore Mallick, Souvic Biswal, Subasini Jena, Ramakanta Bhoi, and Devi Ranjan Tripathy.
- The MLAs voted for Dilip Ray instead of BJD-Congress nominee Datteswar Hota.
- Ray and Hota each received 23 first-preference votes; Ray won after counting second-preference votes.
- Patnaik stated the MLAs were suspended for violating the party's principle of "absolute loyalty to collective decisions.".
- BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik said the party will seek the MLAs' disqualification under anti-defection provisions.
- The BJD will challenge what it calls procedural irregularities during the election.
- The alleged irregularities include the issuance of fresh ballot papers to BJP MLAs Upasana Mohapatra and Purnachandra Sethi.
Primary Source
Research Sources
- Hindustan Times — Biju Janata Dal suspends 6 MLAs in Odisha over cross-voting in Rajya Sabha polls