Bhubaneswar, Jan 9 (IANS): The Odisha BJP Friday rejected the five-member committee formed by the state government to study functioning of legislative councils in the states where they exist.

"We reject the committee formed by the state government. It did not inform and discuss the issue with us before nominating our party member to the committee. We would have accepted it had it been done by the speaker," BJP legislature party leader Basant Panda told reporters here.

He said it is the party which should nominate the member in the committee, and not the government.

"How can the government set up the committee and nominate a member of our party without consulting the state BJP president or the leader of the BJP's legislature party," asked Panda.

In order to prepare a report on the process and functioning of legislative council in other states, the parliamentary affairs department recently announced the names of Nrushinga Sahu, Pramila Mallik, Manohar Randhari of the BJD, Bhujabal Majhi of the Congress and Nitesh Gangdev of the BJP as members of the committee.

The government has decided to create a legislative council in the state.

Reacting to the BJP stand, Parliamentary Affair Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh said: "The government included members from all parties as per the democratic procedure. We are following the high traditions of democratic principles and hope that the nominated members will be part of the committee."

He said the members will visit Maharashtra and Karnataka to prepare a report and submit their suggestions by the end of January 2015.