Bhubaneswar: A delegation of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday met Odisha Legislative Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy and submitted a memorandum seeking the disqualification of eight party MLAs for allegedly violating the party whip and engaging in anti-party activities.
The delegation, led by Deputy Leader of Opposition Prasanna Acharya, argued that the legislators had defied official party directions during the recent Rajya Sabha elections by cross-voting in favour of a ruling party-backed candidate. The party also accused them of making public statements against the BJD.
In its submission, the BJD urged the Speaker to invoke provisions of the anti-defection law and take expeditious action to disqualify the members.
Speaking to reporters, BJD Chief Whip Pramila Mallik said she had formally written to the Speaker seeking immediate cancellation of the MLAs’ membership.
“Those eight legislators engaged in anti-party activities had voted against party directives during the Rajya Sabha elections and have also been making statements against the BJD before the media. They are no longer required to remain in the party and have accordingly been suspended. Therefore, we have requested Speaker Madam to immediately cancel their membership,” Mallik said.
Senior BJD MLA Arun Sahoo termed cross-voting and defiance of the whip a serious breach of party discipline and constitutional provisions. He cited Article 191 of the Constitution of India and the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which deal with disqualification on grounds of defection.
Sahoo said that if an elected representative voluntarily gives up party membership or votes contrary to the official whip, it could be construed as defection. “This is not just about voting; it is about party discipline and the mandate given by the people. Publicly going against the party line reflects voluntary abandonment of party membership,” he said.
Referring to past instances, including the disqualification of MLAs in Himachal Pradesh in 2024 and that of Sharad Yadav, Sahoo expressed confidence that the Speaker would examine the matter in accordance with the law.
Notably, 11 legislators—eight from the BJD and three from the Congress—reportedly cross-voted during the March biennial Rajya Sabha elections, leading to the victory of BJP-backed candidate Dilip Ray.
