BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Sunday issued show cause notice to two MLAs for remaining absent from the meetings called by party president Naveen Patnaik in connection with Rajya Sabha elections.
Baliguda MLA Chakramani Kanhar and Jayadev MLA Naba Kishor Mallick have not been attending the meetings convened by Naveen at his residence here for the last three days. The BJD had instructed its MLAs to attend training sessions at Naveen’s residence in the evening hours every day in the run up to the polls.
The regional outfit also directed the two suspended MLAs Arvind Mohapatra and Sanatan Mahakud to vote for authorised candidates of the party by complying with the party whip.
In separate letters to the legislators, party chief whip Pramila Mallick said though they had been suspended from the party, this did not absolve them from constitutional obligations as members elected on party symbol. The BJD has issued whip directing its members to vote in favour of the party’s authorised candidates.
They have to comply with it and cast vote accordingly, she said. Mallick said any act of voting contrary to party whip or abstaining from voting without prior permission may attract the provisions of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India including disqualification on the ground that the member has voluntarily given up membership of the political party.
The BJD whip cited the example of Sharad Yadav, who was disqualified from membership of Rajya Sabha in December, 2017 under 10th Schedule of the Constitution, a decision in which the Supreme Court did not interfere. Mallick said the party expects they will comply with the whip honouring the mandate in which they were elected.
“Complying with the party direction will also be taken into consideration by the party leadership while reviewing the matter relating to your suspension,” she wrote to them.