Odisha Cong Issues Notice To MLA For Cross-Voting In Presidential Election

Bhubaneswar: Odisha unit of Congress has issued a notice to its MLA for cross-voting in Presidential election in violation of party decision.

President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee Sarat Patnaik has issued a show-cause notice to Cuttack-Barabati MLA Mohammad Moquim for voting in favour of NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu in the election.

The national president of Congress Sonia Gandhi had directed all MPs and MLAs of the party to vote in favour of opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in the election. Since Moquim went against the direction and violated the party discipline, Patnaik has issued the notice, said Congress media cell head Satya Prakash Nayak in a release.

“You are indulging and deliberately acting and carrying on propaganda against the programmes and decision of the Congress and addressing the electronic media deliberately acting in a way calculated to lower the prestige of Congress and carrying on propaganda against party and its office-bearers. Please explain why disciplinary action will not be taken against you as per the party rules,” the notice stated. Moquim has been asked to file his response to the show-cause notice in two weeks.

It may be noted that the Congress legislator had told the media that he had voted for Murmu, who belongs to tribal community of Odisha, after Sinha appealed to all to vote according to their conscience.

It may be noted that out of 9 Congress MLAs in Odisha, all except Moquim had voted in favour of Sinha. While the lone CPI legislator also voted for the opposition candidate, the Independent MLA from Rayagada Makaranda  Muduli voted in favour of NDA nominee Murmu.