Horse-trading: Government orders probe

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Friday asked the Home department to probe the alleged horse-trading during last year’s Rajya Sabha elections even as the Opposition Congress and BJP demanded a CBI inquiry into it.“The matter has been referred to the Home department for examination,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told mediapersons here. The Government directed the investigation in view of media reports and some television channels airing audio tapes alleging behind-the-scene deals, Home Secretary U N Behera said.He said the Government would try to procure the audio tapes from the TV channels if required but declined to say anything on whether police will be involved in the investigation.The Congress and the BJP have, however, dismissed the probe as a ploy to cover up the entire incident. “We demand a CBI probe as the Home department cannot give justice. How can the department probe the role of the Chief Minister, who also holds Home portfolio?,” State Congress president Niranjan Patnaik asked, reiterating the demand for CBI probe.Stating that the Congress has already demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister, who is also president of the ruling BJD, the OPCC president said  the Home department could not probe the involvement of two ministers accused of making a deal with an MLA for abstaining from voting for the victory of the BJD’s third candidate. The issue of horse-trading in last year’s Rajya Sabha polls, which resurfaced recently, brought to focus the roles of two Ministers of State __ Pushpendra Singhdeo and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak __ in the purchase of Opposition MLAs. The second audio tape also pointed towards attempt by Independent MLA Tara Ranjan Patnaik to influence the BJP MLAs.The Congress has, in the meanwhile, suspended Shivaji Majhi, the Lanjigarh MLA, who had abstained from voting. A committee has been constituted to inquire into the abstention of Gregory Minz, the party MLA from Rajgangpur. The BJP had suspended its Bonai MLA Bhimsen Choudhury, who had also abstained from voting.