BJD splits; 5 rebels expelled

BHUBANESWAR, Nov 16: In a day of high drama, the rebels in the Biju Janata Dal BJD removed Ramakrushna Patnaik as leader of the party's le...

BHUBANESWAR, Nov 16: In a day of high drama, the rebels in the Biju Janata Dal BJD removed Ramakrushna Patnaik as leader of the party8217;s legislative wing and the loyalists retaliated by expelling five rebel MLAs from the party to counter the dissident move thereby plunging the party in a crisis.

The rebels have elected Prafulla Samal as leader of the Biju Janata Dal Legislature Party BJDLP in place of Patnaik. The latest developments have vertically split the regional outfit which was formed less than a year ago on December 26, 1997.

The MLAs expelled from the party are Bisnu Das, Bijayshree Routray, Kalpataru Das, Surjya Narayan Patra and Prabhat Tripathy. A party spokesman said the MLAs have been expelled from the party for anti-party activities.

Earlier in the day, as many as 15 of the party8217;s 27 MLAs today met Speaker Chintamani Dyansamantra and handed him the resolution passed at a requisitioned meeting of the BJDLP removing Ramakrushna Patnaik as the leader. The rebels have elected PrafullaSamal as leader of the BJDLP.

The decision to remove Patnaik as leader of BJDLP was taken at a requisitioned meeting of the BJDLP held on November 13. Senior BJD legislator Panchanan Kanungo presided over the meeting.

With 15 MLAs in their side the rebels have a majority in the BJDLP. The MLAs who demanded the removal of Patnaik as leader of the Opposition are Panchanan Kanungo, Sugnana Kumari Deo, Surya Narayan Patra, Prafulla Samal, Kalpataru Das, Roshni Singh Deo, Bijay Mahapatra, Amar Prasad Satpathy, Raghunath Mahanty, Prabhat Tripathy, Maheswar Mahanty, Bijayshree Routray, Madhabananda Behera, Debi Mishra and Bisnu Das.

The rebels expect that several MLAs who have not signed the resolution will eventually join them. Ramesh Chandra Chau Patnaik who attended the requisioned meeting of the MLAs, however, did not sign the resolution. The resolution requested the Speaker to recognise Prafulla Samal as leader of the Opposition.

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All the 15 signatories to the resolution were paraded before the Speakerat his residence. Speaking to newsmen, Speaker Chintamani Dyan Samantra said all the 15 MLAs were physically present before him. 8220;All the 15 MLAs said that they have signed the resolution on their own8217;, he added.

The Speaker said he will take a decision in this regard as early as possible and as per the Constitution.

Soon after handing over the resolution to the Speaker, the rebels were closetted at the residence of senior leader Sugnani Kumari Deo. The joining of Deo in the rebel camp has come as a big boost for the rebels in the party. Deo had so far maintained equidistance from both the groups in the party and was working for a patch-up between party president Naveen Patnaik and rebel leader Bijay Mahapatra.

Talking to newsmen, rebel leader Mahapatra said there is no question of a split in the party. He said the decision to remove Patnaik as leader of the Opposition has been taken in the interest of the party. He alleged that Patnaik had failed to discharge his responsibilities in a proper manner asleader of the Opposition. Asked whether they had informed Naveen Patnaik before taking such a decision, Mahapatra quipped, the president has been informed8217;.