The move, which could have a bearing on the fate of the BJP-led Government at the Centre, comes in the wake of the vertical split within the party's legislative wing in Orissa. Both Tathagata and Samantaray were part of a group of four MPs who had openly questioned Patnaik's leadership and also asked him to abide by the `one-man-one-post' rule. The other two MPs are Padmanabha Behera and Prasanna Patsani.

In the ongoing factional infighting within the BJD, the four MPs have come to be identified with the camp led by Union Minister of State for Coal Delip Kumar Ray and Bijoy Mahapatra.

Patnaik, who is also the Union Steel and Mines minister, holds the twin posts of party president leader of the BJD parliamentary party.

The decision to suspend the two MPs wascommunicated to Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi's office today. But a formal decision on the matter is likely to be delayed as the Speaker is currently away on a tour to Moscow. He is likely to reach the Capital tomorrow.

Moreover, since the two MPs have just been suspended, the Speaker's office is likely to take its own time in effecting the order. Sources in the Speaker's office said that a decision on the matter was unlikely before November 30, when the winter session of Parliament gets underway.

``This will give the party a breathing space to bring about a rapprochement between the two warring factions,'' explained a senior BJD leader.

By suspending, and not expelling, just two MPs, Patnaik is clearly aiming to prevent the rebels from effecting a split in the party's parliamentary wing. The BJD has a strength of 9 MPs in the Lok Sabha, and the rebels, in order to come within the purview of the anti-defection law, need just three MPs for bringing about a formal split within the party.

In hislettter to the Speaker, Patnaik, it is learnt, has enclosed the order suspending the two MPs. ``They are hereby suspended from the Biju Janata Dal for anti-party activities pending finalisation of proceedings. Detailed charges of their anti-party activities are communicated to them separately,'' it said.

It added that, following their suspension from the BJD, the two MPs had ceased to be active members of the party, and urged the Speaker to initiate necessary action in the matter.

While Tathagata is the son of former Orissa Chief Minister Nandini Satpathy, Samantaray, joined the BJD on the eve of this year's Lok Sabha elections. He defeated former Union Minister and senior Janata Dal leader Shrikanta Jena.