Bhubaneswar, March 17 A day after some party MLAs cross-voted in favor of the independent candidate Dilip Ray, backed by the BJP, in the Rajya Sabha elections, the opposition BJD issued a show cause notice to six lawmakers on Tuesday, asking them to explain their actions, which were considered a "breach of trust."
In a letter to six BJD MLAs – Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda), Naba Kishor Mallick (Jayadev), Souvic Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Subasini Jena (Basta), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol) and Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki) – BJD Chief Whip Pramila Mallik asked them to reply to the notice by 5 pm on March 20.
"Failure to provide a satisfactory explanation within the stipulated time shall be presumed that you have no explanation to offer, and the party shall be at liberty to proceed ex-parte and take such action as may be deemed appropriate in accordance with law and the constitution and rules of the Biju Janata Dal," Mallik said in the letter.
The letter stated that the MLAs were elected on the BJD ticket, and that "it has come to the attention of the party leadership that during the Rajya Sabha Elections held on March 16, you acted in a manner that constitutes a grave breach of party discipline and a betrayal of the trust reposed in you by the BJD."
The BJD also alleged that the MLAs had violated party instructions and the decision taken in the legislature party meeting held on March 15. "Your actions violate the core principles of the Biju Janata Dal Constitution, which mandates absolute loyalty to the party's collective decisions," the letter said.
The BJD also claimed that it was conclusively established that the MLAs voted against the party's direction, for a candidate not supported by the Biju Janata Dal.
"The same is evidenced by your compulsory display of the marked ballot to the authorised agent of the party on March 16, thereby placing the manner of your voting beyond dispute," Mallik said.
The BJD alleged that such conduct (voting against party decision) amounts to gross indiscipline, breach of party trust, and activity manifestly prejudicial to the discipline of the BJD, and amounts to your voluntarily giving up your membership of the party, the chief whip said.
"Your aforesaid conduct, by its very nature, constitutes clear and unequivocal conduct inconsistent with your continued membership of the BJD and prima facie demonstrates that you have voluntarily given up the membership of the political party on whose ticket you were elected," the letter said.
Therefore, the show cause notice asked why disciplinary action should not be initiated against them (6 MLAs), including suspension from the BJD. Appropriate legal and constitutional proceedings should not be initiated on the ground that the conduct showed that they have voluntarily given up the membership of the party.
Elections were held for four Rajya Sabha seats in the state on Monday. BJP bagged two of them, the BJD secured one, besides Ray's victory.
Meanwhile, BJD’s Tirtol MLA Ramakanta Bhoi, who allegedly cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls, in a private news channel, claimed that he was forcibly taken from his residence and forced to remain in Naveen Niwas the night before the voting.
"Despite my request, I was not allowed to leave Naveen Niwas campus even at night. I asked them (party leaders) whether they wanted my vote or wanted me to stay at Naveen Niwas. I clearly told them that if I was not allowed to leave, I would not vote for them," Bhoi said.