Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has issued a sharp rebuttal to the controversial remarks made by Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik regarding MLAs who cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha elections.
The elections, held on March 16, saw BJP-backed candidates secure a decisive victory, winning three out of four seats amid significant cross-voting from Opposition MLAs. BJP state president Manmohan Samal and sitting MP Sujeet Kumar won comfortably, while Independent candidate Dilip Ray, supported by the BJP, also triumphed despite initial numerical challenges, thanks to 11 cross-votes from BJD and Congress MLAs. BJD’s Santrupt Misra secured the remaining seat.
Naveen, reacting to the cross-voting that favoured Ray, accused the ruling party of horse-trading and described many of the MLAs who defied party lines as having “criminal pasts.” He added that some had parents who had been to jail, expressing shame over the development and implying questionable influences in the process.
“I had spoken to many of you in the last few days about the BJP and their allies and the kind of horse-trading they may attempt. They have gathered a number of people who voted for them. Most of those who cross-voted have criminal pasts. You can check how many of their parents went to jail,” he told reporters.
Addressing the media after the results were announced, CM Majhi condemned Naveen’s statements as “unfortunate,” “immature,” and “derogatory,” arguing that they constituted an insult to democratic principles and the dignity of elected representatives. He emphasised that labelling MLAs who voted according to their conscience as criminals disrespected not only the legislators but also the thousands of voters who had elected them.
“If their backgrounds were questionable, why were they earlier projected and supported by him?” he asked.
The CM further asserted that elected representatives are accountable primarily to the Constitution and their constituents, not to any single leader.
Attributing Naveen’s remarks to frustration over the electoral setback, Majhi maintained that Odisha’s people hold the ultimate power to reject any obstacle to the state’s progress. He hailed the Rajya Sabha outcome as a reflection of continued public support for the BJP-led government’s development initiatives under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guidance.
