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.
