TNI Bureau: Odisha Assembly Speaker Pramila Mallick on Thursday disqualified two MLAs – Arabinda Dhali and Premananda Nayak, who recently joined the BJP after resigning from the BJD ahead of the elections.

The membership of Jayadev MLA Arabinda Dhali and Telkoi MLA Premananda Nayak were disqualified under anti-defection law.

The Speaker decided after the Odisha Government Chief Whip MLA Prasanta Kumar Muduli filed a petition, seeking disqualification of two members as they voluntarily gave up primary membership from the BJD in which they were elected to the Assembly.