The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Thursday suspended Sundergarh legislator Jogesh Singh for anti-party activities, a day after its working president Naba Kishore Das resigned from the party.
"Sundergarh MLA Jogesh Singh has been suspended for repeatedly giving statements against the party to the media and tarnishing image of Congress," OPCC discplinary committee convenor Ananta Sethi said.
Stating that the action has been taken against the Sundergarh MLA with approval of the AICC, Sethi said Singh was served a show-cause notice on Wednesday to reply within 24 hours, but he failed to respond.
Sethi also claimed that the party had expelled Naba Kishore Das from the party before he resigned on Wednesday.
The development comes barely a week before Congress president Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to Odisha on January 25.
Meanwhile, Singh said: "I have not indulged in any anti-party activities as alleged. Is it an anti-party activity to praise the chief minister for his good works?"
Asked about his announcment of not to attend Congress president Rahul Gandhi's meeting in Bhubaneswar, Singh said: "I have already fixed certain programmes in my constituency. This apart the marriage of my brother is also fixed on that day. Therefore, it is not possible to attend Gandhi's programme in the state capital."
On the possibility of his joining ruling BJD, Singh said that he has not taken any decision in this regard. "Future will tell what will happen. I cannot predict things."
OPCC Discplinary Committee chairman Hemananda Biswal said: "Odisha Congress had given Das the opportunity to represent the people in the State Assembly for 10-long years but now his decision to leave the party is not fair. However, his withdrawal from the party will not affect the party organisation in western Odisha."