Bhubaneswar, March 15: Ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, Odisha’s major opposition party, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), is tightening its discipline. The party has issued show-cause notices to two MLAs for their continuous absence from a crucial meeting called by party president and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at ‘Naveen Niwas’ over three consecutive days.
In a press release by BJD’s Chief Whip, Pramila Malik, it was stated that Chakramani Kanhar, the MLA from the 82-Baliguda (ST) constituency, and Naba Kishore Malik, the MLA from the 111-Jayadev (SC) constituency, failed to comply with the three-line whip issued by the party. This whip mandated their presence at Naveen Niwas from March 13 to 15 for training, presentations, and meetings related to the Rajya Sabha elections.
The party leadership has expressed deep concern over the continuous absence of these MLAs. This incident comes just a day before the elections on March 16, where five candidates are vying for four seats. The BJD has fielded two candidates, Santrupta Mishra and Datteshwar Hota, but can only secure one seat based on their numbers. To avoid the risk of cross-voting, Naveen Patnaik had instructed the MLAs to remain in Bhubaneswar and attend the meeting.
The notice provides both MLAs a final opportunity to appear in person at Naveen Niwas by 9 PM on March 15, 2026. It warns that failure to comply may result in disciplinary action from the party, including suspension or other severe measures.
This notice is part of BJD’s efforts to maintain unity within the party. Naveen Patnaik has emphasized the necessity of training, as many MLAs are unfamiliar with the Rajya Sabha voting process to prevent invalid votes. The party has accused the BJP of attempting horse-trading and influencing MLAs.
Meanwhile, the Congress party has also relocated some of its MLAs to a resort in Bengaluru to prevent cross-voting. The absence of four BJD MLAs—Chakramani Kanhar, Naba Kishore Malik, Manohar Randhari, and Souvik Biswal—has caused a stir within the party.
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