Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo and Odisha Leader of Opposition (LOP) Naveen Patnaik | Photo credit: ANI
The opposition BJD on Sunday (March 22, 2026) said the party is ready to launch a legal battle to ensure that its six MLAs, who were suspended for allegedly voting in favor of the BJP in the recent Rajya Sabha polls, are disqualified from the Odisha Assembly.
Addressing a press conference here, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said the party was “mentally prepared to carry this battle to the last point”.
“The BJD is ready to take the matter to the Supreme Court if necessary and ensure that they are expelled from the House,” he said.
Mr. Mohanty’s comment comes a day after the BJD suspended six of its MLAs for cross-voting during the recent elections to four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha.
The suspended legislators are Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda), Naba Kishor Mallick (Jayadev), Souvic Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Subasini Jena (Basta), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol) and Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki).
BJD senior vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said its political affairs committee has taken serious note of the six MLAs who “not only voted against the party’s decision in the Rajya Sabha elections but also made public statements against the party leadership”.
“According to the BJD constitution, any member who publicly speaks out against the leadership and opposes the collective decision is as good as resigning from the party. These six MLAs are likely to lose their membership in the House as they have violated the party constitution,” he said.
Mr. Mishra said since the six legislators did not follow the party’s collective decision, the BJD would move the Speaker with a formal request to disqualify their membership of the Assembly.
“If the suspended MLAs take legal action, the party is ready to fight it,” Mr. Mishra said.
Published – 23 March 2026 04:20 IST
