BJD asks suspended MLAs to resign from Assembly seats, contest polls again

Mallick said a formal petition was submitted to the Speaker seeking disqualification of the suspended MLAs for violating party whip in the Rajya Sabha elections.

Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallick File Photo

BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Monday asked the eight suspended MLAs of the party to resign from their Assembly seats and contest elections again to prove public support behind them.

A delegation of party leaders led by Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallick also met Speaker Surama Padhy on the day and pushed for the disqualification of the suspended MLAs. Mallick said a formal petition was submitted to the Speaker seeking disqualification of the suspended MLAs for violating party whip in the Rajya Sabha elections.

Six of the eight MLAs - Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda), Naba Kishore Mallick (Jayadev), Souvic Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Subasini Jena (Basta), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol) and Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki) were suspended on May 22 for cross-voting in favour of BJP-supported Independent candidate Dilip Ray in the recent Rajya Sabha elections.

Two others Arvind Mohapatra (Patkura) and Sanatan Mahakud (Champua) had been suspended earlier in January for anti-party activities. Mallick told mediapersons that the MLAs should either resign from the seats or be removed. “If they truly believe they enjoy public support, they should contest the by-elections,” she added.