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BJD suspends 2 MLAs, Sanatan Mahakud and Arabinda Mohapatra, for anti-party activities
Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced the suspension of the two Biju Janata Dal MLAs in a statement issued on Thursday
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik on Thursday suspended two legislators, Sanatan Mahakud and Arabinda Mohapatra, for anti-party activities.
The announcement was made in a one-line statement issued by the former chief minister. “Shri Arvind Mohapatra, MLA and Shri Sanatan Mahakud, MLA, are hereby suspended from Biju Janata Dal with immediate effect for their involvement in anti-party activities,” the BJD statement issued by Patnaik said.
Mahakud, a two-time MLA and the state’s richest legislator, had recently courted controversy when he criticised the previous Patnaik-led government at a public meeting in Keonjhar district in the presence of chief minister Mohan Majhi.
BJD leaders were not clear what could have led to action against Mohapatra, a first-time MLA. Mohapatra said he had no clue either, and the suspension had come as a surprise.
The young MLA said he had neither made any statement against the party leadership nor put the party in any difficult situation. “I do not know what anti-party activities I have done. I will have to discuss with the party leadership to find out the exact reasons,” he told reporters.
Mohapatra’s induction into the party had come as a surprise in 2024 when Patnaik inducted the son of one of his sharpest critics, Bijay Mohapatra, and handed him a party ticket in the state elections.
A BJD leader said his suspension may have been more of a message to his father, who had held meetings with some dissident BJD leaders including Dipali Das, as well as other party dissidents.
“BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has access to all intelligence reports. Stern action will be taken against anyone found to be involved in anti-party activities. Whenever the party supremo takes a decision, it is based on careful deliberation and solid facts and evidence. This clearly indicates that the suspended leaders were indeed involved in anti-party activities,” said BJD leader Dibya Shankar Mishra.
