Odisha Congress expels campaign committee chairman Sanjay Tripathi for 'anti-party activities'

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], Odisha Congress on Friday expelled its campaign committee chairman Sanjay Tripathi from the party for six years for indiscipline and anti-party activities. This action has been taken a day before the last phase of voting for the current Lok Sabha. "AICC has approved the expulsion of Sanjay Tripathi from the Indian National Congress for six years with immediate effect on account of indiscipline and anti-party behavior," Odisha Congress president Sharat Patnaik said in a release on Friday. Earlier, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party will win all 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha and will also form the government in the state. He said, “We will get 45 percent vote share in the Lok Sabha and I can say with full responsibility that we will win 21 out of 21 seats in Odisha.We will also get majority (in the Assembly) and we will get a chance to serve the state,” H added. Dharmendra Pradhan is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Sambalpu constituency of Odisha. Voting on this seat was held on May 25 under the fifth phase of voting. Asked whether he was ready to change his role in the state if the party gave him the responsibility of the state, the Union Minister said he was only a 'worker' of the party. He said that the party's parliamentary board will decide the responsibility. Naveen Patnaik (77) has been serving as the Chief Minister of Odisha since 2000 and is the second longest serving Chief Minister of any Indian state.He is seeking a record sixth term in power in the state. Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Odisha are being held simultaneously in four phases from May 13 to June 1. Counting of votes will take place on June 4. In the last assembly elections in 2019, BJD had won 112 out of 146 seats. BJ won 23 seats and Congress got nine seats.In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJD secured a major share in the electoral spoils, while BJP and Congress lagged behind. BJD won 1 seat, BJP stood second on 8 seats and Congress got just one seat.