Bhubaneswar: Responding to the show-cause notice issued by the Congress party, Mohana MLA Dasarathi Gomango on Sunday said he would decide his vote during the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha according to his conscience.

In a letter addressed to Sujit Kumar Padhi, Chairperson of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Disciplinary Committee, Gomango stated a party whip does not apply during Rajya Sabha elections. He further argued voting for a candidate other than the one supported by the party cannot be treated as indiscipline. To support his claim, Gomango cited the Supreme Court judgment in the Kuldeep Nayar vs Government of India case and a directive issued by the Election Commission in 2017.

In his response, Gomango also alleged the Congress party had decided to extend support to BJD’s Rajya Sabha candidate Dr Datteswar Hota without discussing the matter in the Congress Legislature Party. He claimed Congress MLAs were not consulted before the decision was taken.

“This clandestine deal has hurt Congress supporters not only in Mohana but across Odisha,” Gomango stated in the letter. He termed the party’s support as a conspiracy and said he would stay away from being part of such an act.

Earlier, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) had served a show-cause notice on Gomango and asked him to appear personally at the party office in Bhubaneswar by 6 pm on March 15. However, the Mohana legislator did not report to the OPCC headquarters.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the OPCC disciplinary committee sent another letter to Gomango, asking him to establish communication with the party leadership by 9 am on March 16.

The Congress party had also issued a whip directing its MLAs to remain present in Bhubaneswar from March 13 to March 16 in view of the Rajya Sabha elections. However, Gomango remained unreachable and did not communicate with the party leadership during this period.