Rajya Sabha polls: Biju Janata Dal says 8 MLAs cross-voted for BJP-backed candidate in Odisha

At least eight MLAs of the Opposition Biju Janata Dal on Monday reportedly voted in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party-supported independent nominee Dilip Ray in the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha, The Hindu reported.

Four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha were due to fall vacant on April 2 and elections had been held on Monday to fill them. Voting ended at 6 pm in the state.

Amid polling on Monday, BJD deputy chief whip Pratap Keshari Deb said that eight party MLAs cross-voted in favour of Ray, who won the seat.

Additionally, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee chief Bhakta Charan Das also told reporters that three of its MLAs – Ramesh Jena, Dasarathi Gomango and Sofia Firdous – had voted in favour of the ruling BJP in the state.

“The party will certainly take action against the erring members who jumped party discipline,” Das said.

However, Ray said that everybody knew his relationship with leaders across party lines, The Hindu reported.

“I pay my gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi and state BJP president Manmohan Samal for their total support,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “I have got success because of support of many in BJD and Congress.”

Earlier in the day, BJD chief Naveen Patnaik accused the BJP of “horse-trading”, The Hindu reported.

“They [BJP] have collected a...

Read more