Bhubaneswar: Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy has rejected a disqualification petition filed by the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) against eight legislators accused of cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha elections held in March this year.

The BJD had moved the Speaker seeking action against the MLAs, alleging that they violated the party's directive and voted in favour of BJP-backed Independent candidate Dilip Ray during the Rajya Sabha polls.

The disqualification plea was filed after the party suspended the legislators for alleged anti-party activities and cross-voting. In April, a BJD delegation led by Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallick met the Speaker and submitted a formal petition demanding their disqualification from the Assembly.

Of the eight MLAs named in the petition, six were suspended specifically for allegedly cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election. They are Chakramani Kanhar (Baliguda), Naba Kishore Mallick (Jayadev), Souvic Biswal (Choudwar-Cuttack), Subasini Jena (Basta), Ramakanta Bhoi (Tirtol) and Devi Ranjan Tripathy (Banki).

The remaining two legislators, Arvind Mohapatra (Patkura) and Sanatan Mahakud (Champua), had been suspended by the party earlier on charges of anti-party activities.