Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik will hold mandatory three-day sessions for his party MLAs ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
Patnaik has directed all party MLAs to attend the three consecutive preparatory evening sessions at his residence Naveen Niwas in Bhubaneswar.
In a formal communication issued to all BJD MLAs, the party president has made attendance for the meetings mandatory and must be treated as “priority.”
Naveen’s decision for the sessions is seen as an effort by the veteran leader to ensure discipline, coordination, and proper understanding of the voting procedure.
The directive comes a day after the BJD Chief Whip issued a three-line whip on March 11, asking all MLAs to remain present in Bhubaneswar from March 13 to March 16 and to participate in voting between 9 AM and 4 PM on the day of polling.
The step is being viewed as a measure to ensure complete party unity and to rule out any possibility of cross-voting in the high-stakes Rajya Sabha election.
Mandatory Meeting Schedule:
March 13, 2026 (Friday from 5.30 PM to 7.30 PM): Presentation on Rajya Sabha election procedure
March 14, 2026 (Saturday from 5.30 PM to 7.30 PM): Training programme for BJD MLAs on voting rules & procedure
March 15, 2026 (Sunday from 5.30 PM to 7.30 PM): Meeting of the BJD Legislature Party
