The seating arrangement in theOdishaLegislative Assembly was revised on Tuesday as the Budget Session commenced, following the suspension of two legislators from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The changes were implemented on the opening day of the session, drawing attention within political circles.
As per the revised seating plan,PatkuraMLA Arvind Mohapatra’s seat has been shifted from G19 to F19. He was earlier occupying seat number G19, which has now been exchanged with that of MLA Sunil Mohapatra. Similarly,ChampuaMLA Sanatan Mahakud’s seat has also been changed. He was previously seated at F14 but has now been allotted seat F21. His earlier seat has been swapped with that of MLA Madhab Dhada.
The reshuffle comes in the wake of disciplinary action taken by the BJD against the two MLAs. The party had recently suspended Arvind Mohapatra and Sanatan Mahakud over alleged anti-party activities.
According to BJD sources, Sanatan Mahakud was reportedly inclined towards the BJP and had openly expressed resentment against the party leadership. Arvind Mohapatra, on the other hand, was allegedly involved in activities deemed detrimental to the party’s interests in his Patkura constituency.
The seat changes marked one of the notable developments on the first day of the Budget Session, which also witnessed a condolence motion and Opposition protests.