BJD Suspends Six MLAs for Cross-Voting in Rajya Sabha Elections

The Biju Janata Dal has taken decisive action by suspending six MLAs for their involvement in cross-voting during the recent Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha. This move follows a series of political maneuvers that saw the party's strength in the assembly diminish. The suspended MLAs, along with others, voted against the party's candidate, leading to a significant electoral upset. The BJD is also pursuing legal avenues to challenge the election process, raising concerns about voting irregularities. This article delves into the implications of these suspensions and the ongoing political dynamics in Odisha.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 22, 2026, 08:37 IST

BJD Takes Action Against MLAs

On Saturday, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) announced the suspension of six MLAs due to their cross-voting in favor of an Independent candidate supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party during the Rajya Sabha elections held on March 16 in Odisha.

The suspended members include Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda), Naba Kishor Mallick (Jayadev), Souvic Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Subasini Jena (Basta), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol), and Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki).

These six MLAs, along with two others who had already been suspended, Arvind Mohapatra and Sanatan Mahakud, voted against Datteswar Hota, a urologist nominated as a joint candidate by the BJD and Congress for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat.

Since no party held a clear majority for the seat, cross-voting by eight BJP MLAs and three Congress members enabled Independent candidate Dilip Ray to win.

In the suspension notice, BJD president Naveen Patnaik stated that the MLAs participated in 'anti-party activities,' including cross-voting, which contravened the BJD's constitution that requires adherence to collective decisions.

Prior to the suspension, the party had issued show-cause notices to the legislators, and their responses were evaluated by the disciplinary committee, leading to the political affairs committee's decision to suspend them.

BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik indicated that the party would also pursue the disqualification of the suspended MLAs, as reported by a media outlet.

According to Mallik, the party plans to contact the speaker of the Odisha Assembly to request the cancellation of their memberships due to non-compliance with party directives. Legal action will also be initiated against these legislators.

The BJD raised concerns regarding the issuance of two ballot papers to BJP MLAs Upasana Mohapatra and Purna Chandra Sethy during the voting process, as reported by a media outlet.

Mallik claimed that despite objections, the Election Commission permitted the counting of these votes.

She stated, 'Issuance of a second ballot is against the rule. Their votes should have been rejected, but they were counted as valid.' The BJD intends to legally challenge the election process.

Following these suspensions, the BJD's representation in the Odisha Assembly has decreased to 42.

On March 17, the Congress party also suspended three of its MLAs—Sofia Firdous, Ramesh Jena, and Dasarathi Gomango—for similar cross-voting actions.