BJD MLA Souvic Biswal criticised the party for expelling his father, Pravat Ranjan Biswal, without reason. Souvic, one of six MLAs suspended for cross-voting in Rajya Sabha polls, alleged his father was disrespected by the party leadership.
MLA Slams Party Over Father’s Expulsion
Souvic Biswal, a BJD MLA, has spoken out against the party leadership, criticising the expulsion of his father, Pravat Ranjan Biswal, from the party. “I have mentioned in the show cause notice the way my father was disrespected, expelled from the party without any reason,” Biswal said in an interview with ANI.
Biswal alleged that his father was unfairly treated by the party and claimed he had informed BJD Chief Naveen Patnaik before the Rajya Sabha Elections that he would not vote for the BJD. The expulsion of Pravat Ranjan Biswal, a senior leader, is part of the BJD’s disciplinary action against MLAs who cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha polls.
BJD Takes Disciplinary Action
The BJD has suspended six MLAs, including Souvic Biswal, for “anti-party activities, including cross-voting” in the recent Rajya Sabha polls. A Biju Janata Dal release on Saturday said that the party’s Disciplinary Committee examined the replies of the MLA to the show-cause notice issued to them. It said the six MLAs had violated “the core principle” of the BJD Constitution.
The Political Affairs Committee meeting of BJD was held under the chairmanship of BJD Chief and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. “Pursuant to the show cause notices issued by the Chief Whip, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the replies received from the MLA’s, due examination of the replies by the BJD Disciplinary Committee and as per the decision taken in Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of BJD today, the following MLA’s of BJD are hereby suspended from the party with immediate effect for their involvement in anti-party activities including cross voting in the recent election to Rajya Sabha violating the core principle of BJD Constitution which mandates absolute loyalty to the party’s collective decisions,” the BJD release said.
Suspended MLAs Named
The suspended MLAs are Chakramani Kanhar of Baliguda, Naba Kishore Mallick of Jayadev, Souvic Biswal of Choudwar-Cuttack, Subasini Jena of Basta, Ramakanta Bhoi of Tirtol, and Devi Ranjan Tripathy of Banki. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)