Bhubaneswar, March 15 -- The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday issued a notice to two of its suspended MLAs, Sanatan Mahakud and Arabinda Mohapatra, directing them to vote in favour of the party's authorised candidate in the forthcoming election to the Rajya Sabha.

Both MLAs, elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly as BJD candidates, were placed under suspension for alleged anti-party activities. However, the party clarified that suspension does not relieve them of their constitutional obligations as members elected on the party symbol.

The notice stated that the whip instructs all its members to vote in favour of the party's authorised candidate. The party has warned that any act of voting against the whip, or abstaining without prior...