Odisha: Former Union Minister Srikant Jena, ex-MLA Krushna Sagaria Expelled from Congress

From: B.Maharana

Bhubaneswar, January 19:

Two senior Odisha Congress leaders -Former Union Minister Srikanta Jena  and ex-tribal MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria have been expelled from the primary membersihip of the party Friday..

“Srikanta Jena and Krushna Chandra Sagaria were expelled from the primary membership of party  for anti-party activities following the direction of AICC “ said the PCC Disciplinary Committee member Ananta Setghi .

In a press release, Sethi said that  AICC decided to remove the  two leaders from the party on the recommendation of the PCC Disciplinary Committee for their anti-party remarks  in the media .

State Congress Presdient Niranjan Patnaik  on a damage control mode took the strong action  following   Party vice-president and Jharsuguda MLA Naba Das  and Sundergarh MLA Jogesh Singh quit the party during last four days.

By removing Srikanta Jena from the party , the PCC chief Niranjan Patnaik has settled the score for the fact that Jena was instrumental in expelling his younger brother Soumya Ranjan Patnaik .

Three days after being removed as chairman of Congress manifesto committee for assembly election, Srikant had resigned from the party’s core and campaign committees on December 9, 2018, and openly challenging the leadership of OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik.

Earlier making his stand clear, Jena had stated that the Chief Minister should be from Scheduled Caste , Scheduled Tribe  or Other Back Classes (OBCs) , if the Congress came to power in  the 2019 elections.

Similarly on November 6, 2018, Sagaria had formally resigned as Member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly stating that he took the decision having failed to provide justice to the Kunduli minor gang rape victim despite being the people’s representative of Koraput.He, however, had said that he would remain in Congress and work for the party.