Bhubaneswar, March 19 The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has urged the Assembly Speaker to disqualify two of its MLAs under the provisions of the Tenth Schedule (Anti-Defection Law) of the Constitution.
The MLAs, Sofia Firdous (Barabati-Cuttack) and Dasarathi Gamango (Mohana), have been accused of violating party directions by voting against the BJP-backed Independent candidate Dilip Ray in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections.
A party delegation led by OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das, along with legislature party deputy leader Ashok Das, whip CS Raazen Ekka and MLAs Sagar Das, Pabitra Saunta and Manglu Khillo, met Speaker Surama Padhy on Wednesday evening and submitted a formal petition.
The OPCC alleged that the two MLAs "violated party discipline and provisions of the anti-defection law" by voting against the party's decision to support opposition common candidate Dr Datteswar Hota, and instead backing Ray.
The party urged the Speaker to invoke Paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule, terming the MLAs' action as "voluntary defection".
According to the petition, both legislators had earlier been issued show-cause notices but "continued to criticise the party leadership openly".
The OPCC also alleged that Firdous has been associating with her father Mohammad Moquim, who was expelled from the party last year, in forming a new political platform, terming it "another act of anti-party activity".
The petition cited past rulings, including the Sharad Yadav case, where conduct and public statements were deemed sufficient to establish defection.
The party has already suspended three MLAs -- Gamango, Firdous and Sanakhemundi legislator Ramesh Jena. Regarding Jena, the party is yet to seek his disqualification.
On March 17, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam had written to the Speaker, stating that the MLAs' "action is in clear violation of the party whip and amounts to defection under the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India".
Kadam has also urged the Speaker to change the seating arrangement of the three MLAs.
"In view of their suspension from the party, the trio no longer remains part of the CLP in the House. Therefore, it is requested that necessary steps may kindly be taken to change their seating arrangement in the Assembly, in accordance with established rules, conventions, and the present status of the said members," he said.