Suspended BJD MLA Arvind Mohapatra Says He Will Vote Independently In Rajya Sabha Polls
“I had asked counter-questions, but no one has given me an answer yet. It is up to them; they can answer if they wish”: Mohapatra
BHUBANESWAR: Amid mounting signs of internal strain within the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), suspended party legislator Arvind Mohapatra on Friday declared that he would exercise his vote independently in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, asserting that his suspension has not curtailed his constitutional authority as an MLA.
Mohapatra, who represents Patkura in the State Assembly, sharpened his attack on BJD president and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, alleging that repeated questions raised by him regarding “corruption and breach of trust” within the party had gone unanswered.
“I had asked counter-questions, but no one has given me an answer yet. It is up to them; they can answer if they wish,” Mohapatra told reporters in Bhubaneswar.
“As an MLA, the powers I had then, I still have now,” he observed.
The suspended legislator said he continues to function as an elected representative, serving on legislative committees and travelling across the state to raise public issues in the Assembly.
“I will continue to work for my constituency and my district,” he said, underlining that his suspension from the party does not affect his legislative responsibilities.
With four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha set to fall vacant soon, Mohapatra indicated that his vote would depend on the electoral arithmetic.
“If there are only four candidates, the vote won’t hold much significance and they will be elected unopposed. If there are more than four candidates, then we will see what needs to be done,” he remarked.
In tightly contested Rajya Sabha elections, even a single cross-vote can alter outcomes, particularly when party equations are delicate. Mohapatra’s statement assumes significance in that context, as it signals the possibility of independent voting in the event of a contest.
The BJD refrained from engaging directly with Mohapatra’s allegations. Senior leader Ananta Narayan Jena said party president Naveen Patnaik would respond to the questions raised by the Patkura MLA.
“The party president will explain. I am not competent to reply to this question,” Jena said briefly when approached by the media.
