BJD Suspends Six MLAs for Cross-Voting in Rajya Sabha Elections

Bhubaneswar: In a firm display of internal discipline, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday suspended six of its Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) with immediate effect over alleged anti-party activities, including cross-voting in the recent Rajya Sabha elections.

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

The action follows the issuance of show-cause notices by the party’s Chief Whip and a comprehensive review of the responses submitted by the legislators concerned.

The matter was subsequently examined by the BJD Disciplinary Committee, and the final decision was approved by the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) at its meeting held on Saturday.

An official order issued under the direction of BJD President Naveen Patnaik stated that the move was necessitated due to violations of the party’s core principles, particularly the expectation of unwavering adherence to collective decisions.

With this decisive step, the BJD President reiterated that the leaders displaying indiscipline and a lack of integrity have no place in the party.