Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Sep 3: Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat member from the Congress Party, Sadanand Malli, who was recently expelled from the party for joining hands with the BJP in the election held for the post of the zilla panchayat(ZP) president, clarified that the party has not followed the procedures before proceeding to expel him.

"I was not served any whip by the Congress party to vote for a particular candidate during the zilla panchayat president's election. Further, I was not even given any show cause notice about the party's intention to initiate disciplinary action against me," Malli clarified.

"Congress Party has been at its lowest ebb in the district as of now, and the leaders of the party have reduced the party to that position. Sincere and loyal workers are being sidelined. As able district-level leaders were neglected by the selfish and arrogant leaders, who are nurturing groupism within the party in the district, the party has been suffering debacle after debacle," Malli said in a press statement.

He also felt that Ramanath Rai should have owned moral responsibility for the defeats of the party candidates in elections to the City Corporation, legislative council, taluk panchayat president and Lok Sabha election.