The Hindu : Congress suspends three Orissa MLAs for cross-voting

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 29, 2002

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National

Congress suspends three Orissa MLAs for cross-voting

By Prafulla Das

BHUBANESWAR MARCH 28. Even as the elections to four Rajya Sabha seats in Orissa on Wednesday proved that the Biju Janata Dal president and Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, was no longer the unchallenged leader of the ruling BJD-BJP alliance, the cross-voting in favour of the former Union Minister, Dilip Ray, took its toll today with the Congress suspending three of its MLAs from the party.

The Orissa Pradesh Congress president, Sarat Patnaik, suspended the three — Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Kartick Mahapatra and Mamata Madhi — for committing ``serious breach of party discipline''. They were among the 12 MLAs who had signed as proposers in the nomination papers of Mr. Ray.

Among the remaining nine MLAs, six were from the BJP, two from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and one from the Biju Janata Dal.

The BJD had expelled its associate member, Manas Ranjan Mallick, a day after he signed as Mr. Ray's proposer. Mr. Ray was expelled from the party for contesting the polls as an Independent.

As regards the Congress, when voting took place on Wednesday it appeared clear that of the 25 party MLAs, Mr. Bahinipati, Mr. Mahapatra and Ms. Madhi had voted in favour of Mr. Ray. The party nominee, Maurice Kujur, who lost the battle, got 23 votes. This reportedly included one vote from the Communist Party of India.

The polls also indicated that the Congress and the BJP were able to keep their flock together to a great extent. Two out of the total 41 BJP MLAs cast their first preference votes for the former Union Minister. The BJP nominee won the polls by bagging 39 first preference votes.

However, Mr. Ray won the elections by getting six second preference votes from the BJP legislators. This is said to be because of the anger some BJP MLAs had against the Chief Minister.

In fact, the six BJP MLAs who had proposed Mr. Ray's candidature had alleged that they had gone to support the former Union Minister as the Chief Minister was neglecting tribals' interests.

Interestingly, the BJP sources today said that the party was not considering any stringent action against the two MLAs who cast their first preference votes for Mr. Ray. ``They would be sidelined,'' a party leader said. He, however, was silent on any possible action against those suspected to have cast their second preference votes for M. Ray.

Although the polls indicated that as many as 13 BJD MLAs cross voted in Mr. Ray's favour, there was no word from the party about any action being contemplated against them.

It is said that Mr. Patnaik was not in a mood to initiate any action against the MLAs immediately as his detractors were rallying behind Mr. Ray, who had earlier claimed that there would be a ``turmoil'' if he was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha.

Going by numbers, there is no immediate threat to the Naveen Patnaik Government. However, Mr. Ray's victory is likely to embolden Mr. Patnaik's detractors and they certainly would be upping the ante.

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