Bhubaneswar, March 17 -- In a significant political development following the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha, the Congress party on Tuesday suspended three of its MLAs for allegedly defying the party whip and cross-voting in favour of a BJP-backed independent candidate. The suspended legislators are Ramesh Jena, Dasharathi Gamang, and Sofia Firdous.
Bhakta Charan Das, president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee and the party's polling agent for Monday's Rajya Sabha elections in the state, said the three MLAs had cross-voted in violation of the party whip.
Das said he had already informed the All India Congress Committee about the cross-voting by the three legislators, which helped BJP-backed Independent candidate and former union ...