Congress expels 3 Odisha MLAs for cross-voting in Rajya Sabha polls

The Congress on Tuesday expelled its three MLAs in Odisha—Sofia Firdous, Ramesh Jena, and Dasarathi Gamango—for supporting the Rajya Sabha candidature of Dilip Ray, backed by the BJP, in the elections to the Upper House held Monday. While the expulsion of MLAs for defying whip during Rajya Sabha polls is not uncommon, what has stood out in this case is the Congress labelling the legislators as “traitors”. Ray, a prominent businessman in Odisha with past ties with the BJD as well as the BJP, contested as an independent with tse BJP’s endorsement.
“Ramesh Jena, MLA of Sana Khemundi; Sofia Firdous, MLA of Barabati Cuttack; and Dasarathi Gamango, MLA of Mohana, have been expelled from the party for defying the party whip and voting for a candidate supported by the BJP in the Rajya Sabha election. Those who betray Congress are betraying the nation,” the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) announced in a statement.OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das had warned Monday that the Congress would move to get the three MLAs disqualified under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution that outlines the provisions on disqualification on the ground of defection. Earlier, the Congress had issued show-cause notices to the three MLAs after they made it evident, through their public statements criticising the party’s decision to join hands with the BJD, that they were going to cross-vote. Gamango even responded to the notice, asserting that party whips are not applicable during Rajya Sabha polls.
Apart from three Congress MLAs, as many as eight BJD MLAs also cross-voted, despite party supremo Naveen Patnaik’s repeated appeals against any such move. Of the four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha that were up for grabs in this round of elections, the BJP comfortably won two and the BJD one. Ray won the remaining one, dealing a blow to the BJD and Congress, which had jointly backed Datteswar Hota as their nominee.