BHUBANESWAR: BJD MP Baijayant Panda has again created ripples by alleging that some MPs cross-voted in the presidential election on Monday.
In a tweet, Panda questioned why political parties bother to announce support for candidates in the presidential and vice-presidential elections when there is no real means of ensuring that their lawmakers vote for the preferred candidate.
Unlike in the Rajya Sabha elections, no whips can be in elections to the posts of president and vice-president.
"Why do parties take sides on Prez/VP when no means to enforce? Unlike RS electn (sic) these not open w/ whip. Some MPs allegdly voted difftly yday," he tweeted.
Although Panda did not mention in which party there was cross-voting, his tweet has given credence to claims by Congress leaders that there was cross-voting from the BJD in favour of the UPA presidential candidate Meira Kumar.
His tweets also raised questions about the assertion by Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and other party leaders that there was no cross-voting from the BJD.
However, government chief whip Amar Prasad Satpathy dismissed Panda's claim. "As per our information, everybody voted in favour the NDA presidential candidate Ramnath Kovind. There was no cross-voting," he said.