Soumya Patnaik expelled from Congress

Former MP and senior Congress leader Soumya Ranjan Patnaik is expelled from the party for ‘anti-party activities’. This was informed by AICC general secretary in-charge of Odisha B K Hariprasad.

Patnaik has been expelled from the primary membership of the Congress party for a period of six years with immediate effect.

Before Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee disciplinary committee on August 12 issued show-cause notice to Soumya Patnaik to explain his political meetings within 7 days.

The showcause notice served on former MP by the disciplinary committee of the OPCC for trying to run a parallel organisation, which has shown that groupism is threatening to affect the performance of the party.

The action against Patnaik came less than a week after Union minister Jairam Ramesh had used strong words against the former and stated that the party would crack whip on dissidents soon.

It was too alleged that Patnaik was running an organisation parallel to the Congress to bring ‘stability’ in the Congress.

Scotching allegations Soumya however had said that he was not creating indiscipline within the party or running a parallel organization. He had said he has been working to strengthen the party at the grassroots level.

Soumya Ranjan Patnaik is a Media Baron-turned-politician and younger brother of former PCC President Niranjan Patnaik and son-in-law of Assam Governor Janaki Ballav Patnaik.