Congress issues show cause to Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim  

BHUBANESWAR: Congress MLA from Cuttack-Barabati constituency Mohammed Moquim has been issued show cause notice by the president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Sarat Pattanayak for breaking party discipline.

Moquim had voted for President-elect Droupadi Murmu in the Presidential election on Monday defying a direction from the party to support the united Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. The Congress MLA has been asked to reply to the show cause notice in two weeks. Announcing the decision, OPCC media cell chief Satya Prakash Nayak said national president of Congress Sonia Gandhi had directed all MPs and MLAs of the party to vote in favour of Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in the election. Since Moquim went against the direction and violated the party discipline, show cause notice was served on him, he added.

However, speculation is rife that Moquim is likely to join the ruling BJD soon. Moquim, an aspirant for the post OPCC president, had resigned from the post of Congress Legislature Party secretary after the appointment of Pattanayak as OPCC chief.