State to await probe on horse trading row: Naveen

Even as the issue of the alleged involvement of two state ministers in horse trading in last year's Rajya Sabha polls has snowballed into a major controversy, the state government has decided to await the findings of the investigation before deciding on any course of action.

"Let us await the findings of the investigation on the matter. Then we will see what needs to be done,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in response to reporters' query on the ministers and MLAs involved in horse trading.

Coming under intense pressure from the Opposition parties and later a directive from the Election Commission, the state home department on Tuesday had lodged an FIR with the Commissionerate of Police against some ministers and MLAs involved in the murky deal. The names of the ministers and MLAs, however, have not been mentioned in the FIR.

The lodging of the FIR follows the recent directive of the Election Commission of India. The home secretary U N Behera had instructed the Commissionerate of Police to lodge the FIR after forwarding an audio CD and an enclosure received from the Commission.

According to the audio CD, two ministers of the BJD government - Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Pushpendra Singh Deo were allegedly involved.