BHUBANESWAR: Leader of the Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Thursday suspended two MLAs, Sanatan Mahakud and Arvind Mohapatra from the party for their alleged involvement in anti-party activities.
Mahakud represents Champua assembly constituency in Keonjhar district, and Mohapatra, a first time MLA from the Patkura assembly seat in Kendrapara district is the son of veteran politician Bijay Mohapatra.
Party sources said both MLAs were not adhering to the BJD’s action plan and were instead charting independent courses that were perceived to be closer to the BJP.
Mahakud recently courted controversy after criticising the previous BJD government at a public meeting in Ghatagaon in Keonjhar district, held in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. He was also pulled up by the party president in February 2025 for remaining absent from a meeting of the BJD Legislature Party ahead of the Assembly session.
Sources said Mohapatra’s case was different. It was alleged that he had differences with the BJD’s Kendrapara district organisation and failed to carry party workers along in the constituency. Mohapatra, however, said the suspension had come as a surprise. He said he had neither made any statement against the party leadership nor put the party in any difficult situation. “I do not know what anti-party activities I have done. I will have discuss with the party leadership to find out the exact reasons,” he added.
Mahakud was not available for comment.