Congress MLA Mamata Madhi was suspended from the party for defying the whip to abstain from the House on the day when the opposition moved a resolution seeking removal of the Assembly Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat. At the end of the day, the resolution was rejected due to lack of support.
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Congress had issued whip to all its members to attend the session on April 3. However, Mamata Madhi and Nihar Mahanand had failed to attend the House on that day. While Mahananda defended himself saying he was busy in NAC polls in his constituency Attabira, Madhi showed the reason the Malkangiri Bandh call given by the Congress. As a result, Congress failed to get required support to remove the Speaker.
As per the Assembly rules and procedures, the support of at least 28 members is required for adoption of such resolution against Speaker in the House. Congress got the support of Independent MLAs Jitu Patnaik (Joda) and Braja Pradhan (Talcher). Even ailing Kotpad MLA Basudev Majhi came to the Assembly in a wheelchair. However, the absence of Madhi and Mahananda helped the Speaker to save his post.