Cuttack: The Orissa High Court Friday scrapped an order of the State Election Commission (SEC) that had cancelled the memberships of nine councillors of Keonjhargarh municipality for violation of party whip.
Pronouncing the verdict, Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra made it clear that the nine rebel councillors will continue to hold posts till end of the council’s tenure.
The nine BJD councillors in a house of 14 at Keonjhargarh municipality had moved a no-confidence motion against the civic body chairperson Mina Majhi November 9, 2016. The rebel councillors had alleged that Majhi failed to serve people’s interest. The BJD, however, issued a whip asking the councillors to refrain from voting during the no-confidence motion. However, the nine BJD councilors voted in the no-trust motion against Majhi December 28, 2016.
Majhi, who faced ouster from her post, had moved the SEC and urged it to cancel the membership of nine BJD councillors for defying party whip.
Accepting Majhi’s plea, the SEC had scrapped the membership of nine coincillors.
PNN