The image of the BJD headed by Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik is at stake. The EC asked the state government to file criminal cases against some of its top leaders who allegedly indulged in horse-trading to see through the victory of their party’s third candidate in the 2010 RS polls. Despite not having the requisite number, the BJD managed to get all its three candidates,
Pyarimohan Mohapatra, Sashi Bhusan Behera and Baishab Parida, elected. Surprising abstentions of two Congress MLAs and a BJP MLA helped win all the three seats. “We have received a written direction along with a computer disk from the EC to file a case against some people. We will hand over them to the file to lodge a case and investigate,” chief secretary Bijoy Patnaik told reporters here.
The horse-trading in the Rajya Sabha elections came to fore early this year when a local television aired an audio-tape wherein two ministers —Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Puspendra Singhdeo — are purportedly heard finalising the deal with the Congress and BJP legislators for their support.
The BJP and Congress have suspended the MLAs from their respective parties asked explanations from them as to why they should not be expelled.
The BJD president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik had ignored the persistent demand from the Congress and BJP to take actions against his colleagues.