Bhubaneswar, Jan 31 (IANS): The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has filed a contempt petition in the high court against Odisha speaker for not complying with its directions on four legislators who defected to the state's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) last year.

Utkala Parida, state unit president of the NCP, said Thursday that he had filed the petition Wednesday against Speaker Pradip Amat for deliberately and wilfully disobeying the order of the high court as well as the Supreme Court.

"The speaker is deliberately not deciding on the matter. He is trying to protect the interest of the BJD," Parida told IANS.

According to him, all four NCP members in the state assembly, including its legislative party leader, joined the BJD along with several other party office bearers June 5 last year.

Describing the development as unlawful, undemocratic and illegal, Parida had moved the speaker seeking disqualification of defected legislators.

"Since the speaker rejected my petition saying that I am not a member of the house and my petition cannot be considered, I had moved the high court," he said.

The high court in its Sep 27, 2012 order said any person could invoke the anti-defection law to seek disqualification of a legislator for switching political loyalties, Parida said.

The court had directed the speaker to decide on the petition earlier this month.

Instead of acting on it, the speaker had moved the Supreme Court, Parida said.