BJD MP expelled for defying whip

Bhubaneswar, Jul 22 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik today expelled party MP from Aska, Harihar Swain for defying the whip and casting his vote in favour of the UPA in the trust vote in the Lok Sabha.

Mr Patnaik announced the decision to expel Mr Swain soon after it was known that the former minister, who had switched over from Congress to join the BJD in the past, had cross voted in favour of the trust vote.

The Chief Minister said Mr Swain has betrayed the BJD and deceived lakhs of people who have voted him as BJD candidate in the last Lok Sabha elections.

He said proceedings would be initiated against Mr Swain and the Lok Sabha Speaker would be approached to disqualify him from the party.

The Chief Minister described the winning of trust vote of the Manmohan Singh government as ''cash victory'' stating that people have seen the shocking development inside the Lok Sabha this afternoon during the debate.

The BJD has a strength of eleven members in the Lok Sabha. The party has issued a one-line whip to its members to vote against the confidence motion moved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

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