BJD suspends six MLAs for defying party’s whip in Rajya Sabha election

The Biju Janata Dal on Saturday (March 21, 2026) placed six MLAs under suspension for going against party line in recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections.

The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of BJD decided that six MLAs were 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.

There MLAs are Chakramani Kanhar, Naba Kishore Mallick, Souvic Biswal, Subasini Jen, Ramakanta Bhoi and Devi Ranjan Tripathy.

With the suspension of six MLAs, the BJD is now left with 42 MLAs in 147-member Odisha Legislative Assembly. The party had won 51 seats in 2024 elections. However, former Minister and Nuapada MLA Rajendra Dholkia passed away in 2025. The regional party could not retain the seat as his son Jay Dholkia, who had joined Bharatiya Janata Party, won the bye-election.  

Subsequently, the BJD also suspended Arvind Mohapatra and Santan Mahakud from the party accusing them of their involvement in anti-party activities.

In last week’s Rajya Sabha election, the BJD had issued a whip urging all legislators including two MLAs— Mr. Mohapatra and Mr. Mahakud who were suspended prior to election— were asked to vote for two candidates announced by the party. However, all eight MLAs defied party whip and voted for BJP-backed independent candidate Dilip Ray.

The regional party had issued show-cause notice for their actions. In response to the notice, all six MLAs had threatened to take action against the regional party leadership, calling the show-cause notices issued to them over their voting illegal and arbitrary.

Speaking to reporters, Pramilla Mallick, Chief Whip (opposition) said apart from suspension of six MLAs, it would fight a legal battle protesting against Election Commission of India’s permission to provide second ballot to BJP MLAs— Upasana Mohapatra and Purna Chandra Sethy. “We will also move for disqualification of these MLAs,” said Ms. Mallick.