In a momentous move, the Congress party has petitioned the Odisha Legislative Assembly Speaker to disqualify two of its MLAs for violating the party whip during the recent Rajya Sabha elections.
Dasarathi Gamango and Sofia Firdous, the legislators in question, are accused of voting for the BJP-backed candidate Dilip Ray rather than the Congress-backed Dr Datteswar Hota, a clear violation of party discipline and the anti-defection provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
A high-level delegation led by PCC President Bhakta Das, together with Legislature Party Deputy Leader Ashok Das, Chief Whip CS Rajan Ekka, and MLAs Sagar Das, Pabitra Saunta, and Manglu Khillo, met with Speaker Surama Padhy on Wednesday and presented a formal petition.

The party has urged the immediate disqualification of the two MLAs, citing Paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule and describing their actions as 'voluntary defection'. According to the petition, both MLAs had previously received show-cause warnings yet continued to openly attack the party leadership. Sofia Firdous has also been accused of collaborating with her father, Mohammad Moquim, to establish a new political platform, which is considered as more anti-party activities.
The Congress delegation requested the Speaker to take proper constitutional action against the wrongdoing legislators.
According to party insiders, another Congress MLA, Ramesh Jena of Sanakhemundi, has already received a show-cause notice for similar cross-voting, with more action expected.