BJD Supremo Naveen Patnaik urged party MLAs to attend meetings and training sessions at Naveen Niwas from March 13 to 15 to prevent cross-voting in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
On March 13, MLAs will attend a presentation on Rajya Sabha poll procedures between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Patnaik has also directed them to join a training programme on March 14 at the same time and venue. A BJD Legislature Party meeting will follow on March 16, with MLAs asked to remain present in the Legislature meeting.
The move comes amid fears of cross-voting. Congress shifted its MLAs to Bengaluru under the supervision of Karnataka Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar. Fourteen leaders, including Mangu Khila, Appala Swamy, Rajan Ekka, and Ashok Kumar, are staying at Wonderla Resort in Bidadi.
In the 147-member Odisha Assembly, BJP holds 79 seats, BJD has 50, and Congress controls 14. BJD nominated Santanu Mishra and Datteshwar Hota, while BJP fielded two candidates and backed Independent Dilip Ray. The fourth seat could hinge on Congress votes, making cross-voting a decisive factor.
