The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has suspended six of its MLAs for engaging in anti-party activities, which included cross-voting in the recent Rajya Sabha elections. The party took this action after the Chief Whip issued show-cause notices, the Disciplinary Committee reviewed the legislators’ responses, and the Political Affairs Committee made a final decision. According to BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, the MLAs were suspended immediately for violating the party’s core principles by cross-voting against the party’s collective decisions.
The suspended MLAs are Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda), Naba Kishore Mallick (Jayadev), Souvic Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Subasini Jena (Basta), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol), and Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki). Allegations suggest that these legislators supported a BJP-backed Independent candidate, Dilip Ray, during the Rajya Sabha polls, going against the party’s directives. The MLAs had received show-cause notices on March 17, questioning their behavior.
The MLAs responded by challenging the notices, claiming them to be “illegal, arbitrary, and unconstitutional.” They also warned of legal action if the notices were not withdrawn, citing provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and alleging that the notices constituted punishable offenses. During the Rajya Sabha biennial elections, a total of 11 legislators, including eight from the BJD, engaged in cross-voting, leading to the victory of BJP-backed candidate Dilip Ray.
