Overview
- An office order signed by BJD president Naveen Patnaik suspended Arvind Mohapatra of Patkura and Sanatan Mahakud of Champua with immediate effect.
- Party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said the MLAs breached party rules and asserted that Patnaik "never tolerates corrupt traitors."
- The suspension order was forwarded to the Odisha Assembly Speaker, formalizing the action within the legislature.
- Mohapatra said he learned of the move on social media and denied wrongdoing, while Mahakud had recently criticized the BJD’s past governance and praised Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
- The party's strength in the 147-member Assembly falls from 50 to 48, and BJD insiders view the timing before April’s Rajya Sabha polls as a message to potential dissidents.