Bhubaneswar: The Congress on Monday submitted a fresh petition to state assembly Speaker Surama Padhy, seeking the disqualification of suspended MLA Ramesh Jena for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election.This is the third separate plea filed by the party. Congress had initially moved a joint petition on March 17 against all three MLAs who defied the party whip and did not vote for BJD-Congress-backed Independent candidate Datteswar Hota. It later submitted individual petitions — first against Sofia Firdous (Barabati-Cuttack) and Dasarathi Gomango (Mohana) on March 18, followed by the latest one targeting Jena who represents Sanakhemundi constituency.Congress legislature party leader Rama Chandra Kadam said the individual petitions were backed by documentary evidence of each MLA’s “anti-party activities”. The party has argued that by defying the whip and acting against party interests, the MLAs have “voluntarily given up” their membership — grounds for disqualification under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law) of the Constitution.Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das said the party would pursue all legal steps to ensure action against the erring MLAs. Kadam, Das and Congress chief whip C S Raazen Ekka met the Speaker and submitted the petition against Jena.The Congress has cited past precedents, including the 2024 disqualification of six party MLAs who cross-voted in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in that year’s Rajya Sabha election.The three Congress MLAs are among eight who cross-voted in the March 16 Rajya Sabha poll. Five BJD MLAs also voted against their party line, leading to the defeat of Hota. The BJD has announced that it too will move the Speaker against its MLAs involved in cross-voting.Jena has earlier defended his action, saying he opposed the Congress’ decision to align with the BJD. “I was sent to jail thrice and several cases were slapped on me by the then BJD government. I had enough reasons to cross-vote,” he said.
