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Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday appointed Manas Ranjan Mangaraj as the leader of its Parliamentary Party in the Rajya Sabha and Sulata Deo as Deputy Leader and Chief Whip in the Upper House.
This comes after BJD president Naveen Patnaik accepted the resignation of MP Sasmit Patra as leader of the BJD parliamentary party in the Rajya Sabha. Patra's resignation comes after Dutteshwar Hota, who has the support of BJD, Congress and CPI(M), was defeated in the Rajya Sabha elections amid cross-voting. The party had suspended its six MLAs for "anti-party activities, including cross-voting" in the Rajya Sabha elections. A BJD release said that the party's Disciplinary Committee examined the replies of the MLA to the showcause notice issued to them. It said the six MLAs had violated "the core principle" of the BJD Constitution. The suspended MLAs included Chakramani Kanhar of Baliguda, Naba Kishore Mallick of Jayadev, Souvic Biswal of Choudwar-Cuttack, Subasini Jena of Basta, Ramakanta Bhoi of Tirtol, and Devi Ranjan Tripathy of Banki. The BJP won two seats from Odisha in the Rajya Sabha polls, while an independent candidate, Dilip Ray, supported by the party, was also elected. BJD candidate Santrup Mishra was elected while Dutteshwar Hota, who has the support of BJD, Congress and CPI(M), was defeated. BJD leaders had accused the BJP of indulging in "horse trading". Meanwhile, on March 29, Sasmit Patra resigned from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT in protest against remarks by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey against former Odisha Chief Minister late Biju Patnaik. In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Patra wrote, "In protest, and as a matter of principle, I am resigning from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT under the Chairmanship of Nishikant Dubey. I cannot, in good conscience, continue to serve under someone who makes disrespectful remarks about the late Shri. Biju Patnaik ji, as he did today in a public statement." (ANI)
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