BHUBANESWAR: Opposition to the suspension of Barabati-Cuttack MLA Mohammed Moquim and former working president Chiranjib Biswal is growing within the Congress with several party leaders demanding its immediate revocation.
Supporters of Moquim and Biswal led by former spokesperson of the party Gobind Bhuyan told media persons here their suspension will affect the party’s prospects in the next elections. Alleging the anti-party activities of the two suspended leaders were never discussed in the disciplinary committee of the party, senior leader Sabitri Choudhury said OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak should not have complained against them to AICC without a formal discussion.
Bhuyan said at a time when Congress’s base is shrinking elsewhere in the state, Moquim had won the Barabati-Cuttack seat for the party in the 2019 Assembly elections after a gap of 40 years. Besides, 10 Congress corporators had won elections to Cuttack Municipal Corporation because of support from Moquim.
Similarly, the party had won Jagatsinghpur municipality elections due to Biswal’s influence in the area. Former president of the disciplinary committee Sandhya Mohapatra also opposed the suspension of the two leaders alleging due process was not followed. The OPCC president, however, said he has not received any letter or application either from Moquim or Biswal for withdrawal of their suspension.