Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday suspended six MLAs from the party with immediate effect.
The six MLAs – Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda), Naba Kishore Mallick (Jayadev), Souvic Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Subasini Jena (Basta), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol) and Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki) — had allegedly cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls in Odisha on March 16.
The MLAs in question replied to showcause notices issued to them by the chief whip of the Naveen Patnaik-led party.
After BJD’s Disciplinary Committee examined the replies, the party’s Political Affairs Committee took the decision to suspend all six.
The showcause notice issued by party whip Pramila Mallik described the MLAs’ actions as a serious breach of discipline and held that it amounts to voluntarily giving up party membership under the anti-defection law. The MLAs were given time till 5 pm on March 20 to explain why disciplinary action, including suspension and defection proceedings, should not be initiated against them.
