Bhubaneswar, Apr 11 (IANS): Odisha Assembly Speaker Pramila Mallik has terminated the membership of legislators Arabinda Dhali and Premananda Nayak, who quit the ruling Biju Janata Dal to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, on the ground of defection.

Dhali, elected from the Jayadev Assembly segment of the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency, and former minister Nayak, representing the Telkoi Assembly seat under the Keonjhar Lok Sabha constituency, had joined the opposition BJP after resigning from the primary membership of the BJD in March 2024.

Their disqualification came on a petition filed by Jagatsinghpur MLA Prasanta Kumar Muduli under the Members of Odisha Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1987, on March 18, demanding that their membership be terminated under the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution, following their voluntary resignation from the BJD on which ticket they were elected to the assembly.

Neither Nayak nor Dhali submitted their responses to the petition or appeared before the Speaker to present their side.

Subsequently, the Speaker announced the disqualification of both Dhali and Nayak, who will cease to be members of the Assembly with immediate effect.