The Biju Janata Dal on Saturday (March 21, 2026) suspended six MLAs for going against the party line in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections.
The BJD’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) has ruled that six MLAs have been suspended from the party with immediate effect for their involvement in anti-party activities, including cross-voting in the recent Rajya Sabha elections, which violates the fundamental principle of the BJD constitution, which requires absolute loyalty to the collective decisions of the party.
MLAs include Chakramani Kanhar, Naba Kishore Mallick, Souvic Biswal, Subasini Jen, Ramakanta Bhoi and Devi Ranjan Tripathy.
After the suspension of six MLAs, the BJD now has 42 MLAs in the 147-member Odisha legislature. The party won 51 seats in the 2024 election. However, former minister and Nuapada MLA Rajendra Dholkia died in 2025. The regional party could not retain the seat as his son Jay Dholkia, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, won the bye-election.
Subsequently, the BJD also suspended Arvind Mohapatra and Santana Mahakud from the party, accusing them of their involvement in anti-party activities.
In the Rajya Sabha elections last week, the BJD sent out a whip, urging all legislators including two MLAs — Mr. Mohapatra and Mr. Mahakud, who were suspended ahead of the elections — to vote for the two candidates announced by the party. However, all eight MLAs defied the party whip and voted for BJP-backed independent candidate Dilip Ray.
The regional party issued a case at their meeting. Reacting to the notice, all six MLAs threatened to take action against the party’s regional leadership, calling the show-cause notices issued to them for their vote illegal and arbitrary.
Speaking to reporters Pramilla Mallick, Chief Whip (Opposition) said that in addition to suspending six MLAs, she will fight a legal battle protesting the Election Commission of India’s permission to grant a second round of voting to BJP MLAs – Upasana Mohapatra and Purna Chandra Sethy. “We will also seek disqualification of these MLAs,” Ms Mallick said.
Published – 22 March 2026 02:36 IST
