Odisha Congress Suspends Three MLAs for Cross-Voting in Rajya Sabha Polls

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Tuesday suspended three party MLAs Sofia Firdous, Ramesh Jena and Dasarathi Gomango for allegedly cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha elections held in the state.

The disciplinary action came after the party reviewed the voting pattern following the announcement of the election results. Earlier, the official social media handle of the Odisha Congress had sharply criticised the three legislators, branding them “traitors” for going against the party line.

In a strongly worded post, the party stated, “Opponents fight you from the outside; traitors weaken you from the inside.”

Ramesh Jena, Dasarathi Gomango and Sofia Firdous have cross-voted in favour of the BJP’s candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections. This act of betrayal was unexpected from them, the party said.

The Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha witnessed significant cross-voting, which influenced the final outcome.