Odisha Speaker dismisses petitions to disqualify 11 MLAs

Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy has dismissed petitions seeking the disqualification of 11 state legislators accused of cross-voting in a Rajya Sabha election held in March. The decision, announced on Monday, June 22, allows eight lawmakers from the ruling Biju Janata Dal and three from the Congress to retain their seats.

The petitions, filed separately by the BJD and Congress in April, had sought action under the anti-defection law, alleging the MLAs violated party whips during the March 16 election for four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha. The opposition parties accused the legislators of voting for BJP-backed independent candidate Dilip Ray, leading to the defeat of their joint nominee, Datteswar Hota.

In her orders, Speaker Padhy cited procedural and substantive deficiencies in the petitions. She stated the submissions were cryptic, vague, unsubstantiated, and failed to meet statutory requirements. The Speaker noted a lack of proper verification, incomplete documentation, and insufficient evidence to establish that the MLAs had voluntarily given up party membership under the Constitution's Tenth Schedule.

The BJD had sought disqualification of eight MLAs: Chakramani...