Bhubaneswar, July 18: Going against the party’s decision, Odisha Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim on Monday voted in favour of NDA’s presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu.
After casting his ballot in favour of Murmu, the Barabati-Cuttack MLA of Congress told the waiting newsmen that he decided to vote for the daughter of the soil for the country’s topmost post.
When asked he had not betrayed the Congress party by voting in favour of NDA’s candidate, the Congress MLA said since there was no whip he had voted as per his conscience
He also said several eminent persons had urged him to vote for Murmu, daughter of the soil and a tribal woman.
However, the other congress MLAs described the move of Moquim as very unfortunate.
Congress legislature party leader Narashingha Mishra said Moquim should have respected the party’s decision which had asked all party MLAs to vote for Sinha, the Opposition candidate for the top most post in the country.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Sharat Patnaik when contacted said he is waiting for the authentic information.
Patnaik said the Congress legislature party had taken a decision that all the nine MLAs would support the candidate of Yashwant Sinha as per the decision of the High command.
The PCC president said the matter will be discussed in the party and we would apprise the High Command which would take a decision on the issue.
Congress MLAs Santosh Singh Saluja and Tara Prasad Bahinipati said at least three meetings were held in the Congress legislature party and all the nine MLAs present in the meeting have promised to vote for Sinha.
It’s most unfortunate that Moquim did not say anything in the meeting and later decided to go against the party line.
Both the MLAs said the party high command will be informed about the action of Moquim adding that they will abide by the decision of the High command on the issue.
