Bhubaneswar, Sep 11: The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has approached the Orissa High Court challenging Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy’s decision to dismiss its petition seeking disqualification of eight party MLAs over alleged defiance of the party’s directives during the March Rajya Sabha elections.

BJD chief whip and senior MLA Pramila Mallik said she filed a writ petition before the High Court on Thursday, alleging that the Speaker had dismissed the petition without providing the party an opportunity to be heard.

Mallik said the BJD had sought disqualification of the eight legislators for alleged anti-party activities and for acting contrary to the collective decision of the party.

BJD MLA and former minister Arun Kumar Sahoo said the party was aware that there was no provision for issuing a whip during Rajya Sabha elections and that legislators could vote according to their conscience. However, he said the party had alleged that the eight MLAs disregarded its directives and failed to attend urgent meetings convened before the polls.

The Speaker had in June dismissed disqualification petitions filed by the BJD and Congress against 11 MLAs, including eight from the BJD and three from the Congress, over alleged cross-voting.

The BJD had accused several of its MLAs, including Chakramani Kanhar, Devi Ranjan Tripathy, Arvind Mohapatra, Sanatan Mahakud, Subasini Jena, Naba Kishore Mallick and Souvic Biswal, of violating provisions of the Tenth Schedule.

In a June 19 notification, the Assembly Secretariat said the BJD petitions were “cryptic, vague, unsubstantiated” and did not meet statutory requirements. It also cited non-compliance with mandatory provisions of the Members of Odisha Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1987.

The Congress had separately sought disqualification of Sofia Firdous, Ramesh Jena and Dasarath Gamang.

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