Orissa HC issues notice to BJD MLAs over alleged cross-voting in Rajya Sabha polls
Justice MS Sahoo directed suspended MLAs Arvind Mohapatra, Sanatan Mahakud, Chakramani Kanhar, Souvic Biswal and Subasini Jena to file their replies by December 4
The Orissa High Court has issued notices to five BJD MLAs on Thursday, following petitions filed by the party seeking their disqualification due to allegations of cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections held on March 16. The court has given the suspended MLAs - Arvind Mohapatra, Sanatan Mahakud, Chakramani Kanhar, Souvic Biswal and Subasini Jena - until December 4 to file their replies.
The hearing for the case is scheduled for January 11 next year. The BJD claims that in the Rajya Sabha poll, eight of their MLAs voted for BJP-supported independent candidate Dilip Ray instead of the BJD-Congress joint nominee Datteswar Hota. Despite both candidates receiving 23 first preference votes, Ray was eventually elected to the Rajya Sabha after counting second preference votes.
The party had sought cancellation of their membership from the Assembly Speaker Surama Padhi, but the Speaker dismissed all eight disqualification petitions in June, citing procedural deficiencies. BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik subsequently moved the High Court, filing eight writ petitions against the Speaker's decision. The BJD argued that their petitions were dismissed without giving them a fair chance to present their case.
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