BJD issues notice to two suspended MLAs ahead of Rajya Sabha poll

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], March 15 (ANI): The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday issued a notice to two of its suspended MLAs, Sanatan Mahakud and Arabinda Mohapatra, directing them to vote in favour of the party's authorised candidate in the forthcoming election to the Rajya Sabha.
Both MLAs, elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly as BJD candidates, were placed under suspension for alleged anti-party activities. However, the party clarified that suspension does not relieve them of their constitutional obligations as members elected on the party symbol.
The notice stated that the whip instructs all its members to vote in favour of the party's authorised candidate. The party has warned that any act of voting against the whip, or abstaining without prior permission, could invoke provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, including disqualification on grounds of voluntarily giving up party membership.
A day earlier, Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik held a meeting with party leaders in Bhubaneswar to discuss the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
Patnaik raised concerns about alleged horse trading for the Rajya Sabha polls.
Speaking to the media, Patnaik said, "Our party MLAs and all of us have just had a meeting with the concerned officers about the process of the elections for the upcoming Rajya Sabha. The BJP and their three Rajya Sabha candidates are all trying their best to engage in horse trading, which is an offence to win this democratic election."
Earlier, Patnaik issued a three-line whip to all party MLAs, directing them to remain in attend party meetings in Bhubaneswar for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
The polling for the biennial elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to fill the 37 seats across 10 states is scheduled to take place on March 16, with the counting of votes on the same day at 5 pm.
The term of 37 members who were elected from Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will conclude in the month of April, vacating the seats for new members to be elected. (ANI)