The Biju Janata Dal on Tuesday said it was in favour of division of votes on the Opposition-sponsored cut motion on the Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha and issued a whip to its members to remain present in the House.
“There should be no confusion on the BJD’s stand on the cut motion. The BJD wants to register its votes on the issue,” Bhartruhari Mahtab, the party’s whip in the Lok Sabha, told PTI over phone.
The party has 14 members in the Lok Sabha.
However, the BJD has alleged that the Congress was attempting to create a situation to avoid voting on the issue.
“The BJD is also opposed to the UPA government’s act of hiking the price of fertilisers and petroleum products,” he said.
The regional party, which disassociated itself from the NDA just before the general election last year, remained neutral by not being part of any combine.
“The BJD will fight for the interest of the State and not be part of either the NDA or the UPA,” party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had said after the election.
Of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Orissa, the BJD had won 14 while the Congress came out victorious in six seats. The remaining seat went in favour of the CPI.
