Bhubaneswar: The Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today suspended two sitting MLAs from the party with immediate effect.

BJD president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik issued an officer order in this regard.

The BJD has suspended MLAs Arvind Mohapatra and Sanatan Mahakud from the party for their alleged anti-party activities.

“Arvind Mohapatra, MLA and Sanatan Mahakud, MLA, are hereby suspended from Biju Janata Dal with immediate effect for their involvement in anti-party activities,” read the office order issued by Patnaik, who is also the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Odisha Assembly. 

Arvind is the son of former minister Bijoy Mohapatra

Arvind Mohapatra is the MLA of Patkura in Kendrapara district. He is the son of former minister Bijoy Mohapatra. Arvind had joined the BJD ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections in the state.

He got elected to the Odisha Assembly by defeating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Tejeswar Parida in the polls.

Sanatan Mahakud is the legislator of Champua in Keonjhar district. Patnaik had rebuked Mahakud over his absence in a BJD legislature Party meeting ahead of the Budget Session of the Assembly last year.

The incident took place on the Assembly premises on February 14, 2025. Patnaik also commented that Mahakud was ‘leaning towards the BJP’.