Bhubaneswar, June 23 -- In a setback to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD),Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy has dismissed the party's petition seeking the disqualification of eight rebel MLAs who defied the party whip and cross-voted for BJP-backed independent candidate Dilip Ray in the Rajya Sabha election held in March this year. The Speaker, in her order on June 19, rejected the petitions on the ground that they failed to comply with mandatory procedural requirements laid down under the Members of Odisha Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1987.htc...