12 Congress MLAs suspended from Odisha Assembly for indiscipline

Bhubaneswar, March 25: In a dramatic turn of events, 12 Congress MLAs were suspended from the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Tuesday for seven days due to indiscipline and creating disruptions in the House.

According to sources, Speaker Surama Padhy announced the suspension after ruling party chief whip Saroj Pradhan moved a motion against the unruly behavior of Congress legislators. The motion was passed, and the suspension was enforced when the House reconvened in the post-lunch session.

Following the announcement, chaos erupted as Congress members protested by beating gongs inside the Assembly. The Speaker was forced to adjourn the House initially until 4:19 pm and later for an additional 15 minutes due to the uproar.

The suspended MLAs include Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam, C S Rajan Ekka, Sofia Firdous, Ashok Das, Mangu Khila, Dasarathi Gamango, Satyajit Gamango, Nilamadhab Hikaka, Sagar Das, and Prafulla Pradhan. However, senior Congress leaders Tara Prasad Bahinipati and Ramesh Jena were not included in the suspension list.

The suspension has further intensified political tensions in the Assembly, with the Congress party condemning the decision as an attempt to suppress opposition voices.