BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Tuesday issued show cause notice to six MLAs for cross-voting in favour of BJP-backed Independent candidate Dilip Ray in the Rajya Sabha election.
The six MLAs who have been issued the notice include Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda), Naba Kishore Mallick (Jayadev), Souvic Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Subasini Jena (Basta), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol) and Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki).
The MLAs have been asked to explain why disciplinary action will not be taken against them including suspension from BJD and why appropriate legal and constitutional proceedings should not be initiated against them on the ground that by their conduct they have voluntarily given up membership of the party. The party has asked them to reply by 5 pm on March 20.
The show cause issued by BJD chief whip Pramila Mallick said the MLAs acted in a manner which constituted a grave breach of party discipline and betrayal of the trust reposed on them by the party.
The MLAs violated the party direction on the Rajya Sabha election and the decision taken at the BJD legislature party meeting March 15. Their action was against the core principles of the BJD constitution, which mandates absolute loyalty to the party’s collective decisions, the notice said.
“It has been conclusively established that the MLAs voted for a candidate not supported by the BJD,” the notice stated and added, it has been proved by their compulsory display of the marked ballots to the authorised agent of the party. “Such conduct amounts to gross indiscipline, breach of party trust and activity manifestly against the discipline of the BJD and amounts to your voluntarily giving up membership of the party,” it added.
Addressing a media-conference earlier, Mallick questioned whether these MLAs can be called followers of ‘Biju legacy’. Biju Patnaik always stood for ethics and values, whereas these leaders have shown they cannot live without power and wealth, she said.