BHUBANESWAR: The Congress is likely to move the Speaker of the Odisha Assembly Surama Padhy for disqualification of the membership of three party MLAs who defied the whip and cross-voted in favour of BJP-backed Independent candidate Dilip Ray in the Rajya Sabha elections.
President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Bhakta Charan Das said the party will move as per the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution against these MLAs.
The three MLAs who cross voted are Sofia Firdous (Cuttack-Barabati), Dasarathi Gomango (Mohana) and Ramesh Jena (Sanakhemundi). According to the 10th Schedule, if an elected member “voluntarily gives up” membership, the political party can move for disqualification.
The OPCC president also criticised the BJP for misusing money power for the victory of Independent candidate Ray. Not only Ray, the entire government made frantic efforts to contact Opposition MLAs and persuade them for cross-voting, he added.