The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today suspended six of its MLAs on Saturday following allegations of cross-voting during the recent elections for four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha.
The suspended lawmakers include Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda), Naba Kishor Mallick (Jayadev), Souvic Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Subasini Jena (Basta), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol), and Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki), according to an order issued by party president Naveen Patnaik.
The decision to take the disciplinary action was finalised during a meeting of the opposition party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC), which was chaired by Patnaik to address the breach of party discipline.
Earlier on March 17, the six MLAs were issued a show-cause notice in this regard.
ବିଜେଡିର ରାଜନୈତିକ ବ୍ୟାପାର କମିଟିର ବୈଠକ ସଭାପତି ଶ୍ରୀ ନବୀନ ପଟ୍ଟନାୟକ ( @Naveen_Odisha ) ଙ୍କ ଅଧ୍ୟକ୍ଷତାରେ ଅନୁଷ୍ଠିତ ହୋଇଯାଇଛି।
ତୃଣମୂଳସ୍ତରରେ ଦଳକୁ ଅଧିକ ମଜଭୁତ କରିବା ସହ ଓଡ଼ିଶାବାସୀଙ୍କ ସମସ୍ୟାର ସମାଧାନ ପାଇଁ ସ୍ଵର ସାଜିବାକୁ ସଭାପତି ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କୁ ପରାମର୍ଶ ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି। #BJD4Odisha#BJDWithOdisha pic.twitter.com/88zaokCv3k
— Biju Janata Dal (@bjd_odisha) March 21, 2026
BJD Chief Whip Pramila Mallik stated that while the MLAs submitted their responses on Friday evening, the party leadership found their explanations to be unsatisfactory, leading to the immediate suspension of the legislators.
In the biennial polls held last Monday, the ruling BJP secured two of the four Rajya Sabha seats, while the BJD and a BJP-backed Independent candidate each claimed one seat.
Analysis of the results showed a significant shift in loyalty. While the total number of BJP legislators and Independent MLAs supporting the ruling party was 82 in the 147-member Assembly, the saffron party’s candidates garnered 93 first preference votes, which was 11 more than its strength in the Assembly.
According to an election official, of those 11 surplus votes, eight were from BJD legislators and three from Congress MLAs, highlighting the scale of the cross-voting that triggered the BJD’s internal crackdown.
