Three Congress MLAs Suspended In Odisha For Defying Party Whip, Supporting BJP Candidate
Three Odisha Congress MLAs suspended for defying party whip, backing BJP-backed candidate in Rajya Sabha election.
The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Tuesday suspended three of its legislators for defying the party whip and voting in favour of a BJP-backed Independent candidate, Dilip Ray, during the recent Rajya Sabha elections. The suspension affects Sanakhemundi MLA Ramesh Chandra Jena, Barabati-Cuttack MLA Sofia Firdous, and Mohana MLA Dasarathi Gomango, whose cross-voting contributed to the defeat of the opposition candidate, Dr Datteshwar Hota.
Sujit Padhi, chairman of the party’s disciplinary action committee, stated that the three legislators engaged in “anti-party activities” by violating the party whip, thereby undermining Congress interests. “Since their actions not only broke party discipline but also undermined the interests of the Congress party, the Pradesh Congress Committee decided to take this disciplinary step,” Padhi said in a press statement.
The OPCC has also recommended that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) consider expelling Jena, Firdous, and Gomango from the party. On its official X handle, the party described the legislators as traitors, writing, “Opponents fight you from the outside; traitors weaken you from the inside,” in reference to their support for the BJP-backed candidate.
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In a related development, the Cuttack City District Congress President, Giribala Behera, has been expelled from the party’s primary membership for continuous anti-party activities and failure to implement party directives. The disciplinary action was approved by the president of the OPCC.
The cross-voting episode involved a total of 11 legislators—eight from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and three from the Congress—during the Rajya Sabha biennial elections held on Monday. This breach of party discipline ultimately contributed to the victory of Dilip Ray, reshaping the electoral outcome in the state.
The suspensions and expulsions highlight growing internal challenges within the Odisha Congress ahead of future legislative contests and underline the party’s strict stance against deviations from its directives.
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