Announcement of new Odisha Congress leader likely today

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Dec 15:

AICC President Sonia Gandhi is likely to announce the name of the new president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) today, according to reliable sources in the party.

The four names that are doing the rounds as a possible successor to incumbent PCC president Jaydev Jena are former chief whip of the Congress in the last Odisha Assembly Prasad Harichandan, former MP from Nabarangpur Pradeep Majhi,  MLA and party state treasurer Chiranjib Biswal and former minister and OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, sources said.

Among the four, Harichandan and Majhi are said to be the front runners. It’s Sonia who is going to take the final call, the sources added.

AICC leader and party’s deputy in-charge in Odisha Subhankar Sarkar gave a hint about the shape of things to come when he told a local televsion news channel that the party leadership is looking at youth to revive the party’s fortunes in the state and in the rest of the country.

It may be noted that the campaign for Jayadev Jena, the current OPCC president’s ouster had gathered momentum in the last few days. Thirteen leaders from the state unit, including seven MLAs, had met AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday in what is believed to be an attempt to convince him about the need for a change in the PCC.

Earlier in the week, a host of senior Congress leaders had voiced their opposition to Jena at a ‘Bandhu Milan’ (get together of friends) convened by former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal.

The renewed move to seek Jena’s replacement coincides with the return of veteran Congress leader and three-time Chief Minister JB Patnaik to the state at the end of his five-year term as Assam Governor.

However, Jena had told at a press meet on December 12 that “No group or lobby works in Congress for leadership change; it’s the Congress high command’s decision which is final in these matters.”

Jena had said that the high command keeps a tab on what’s happening within the party in states through different agencies.

On the issue of his resignation from the leadership of the party in the state, the PCC chief had said that he had tendered his resignation to the party high command on May 16, 2014, the day the results came out, claiming responsibility for the party’s debacle in the elections in the state.

“I was given charge of the party in the state just seven months before the elections were held. I had indicated that I would work for the party under any leader chosen by the high command to lead the party in the state,” he had said.

 

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has hinted at a change of leadership in the Odisha Congress very soon.

In an exclusive interview to a local television news channel here today, AICC leader and Odisha in-charge Subhankar Sarkar said the party high command had decided to entrust the leadership to a leader who can strengthen the party.

“There are a number of senior leaders in Odisha who are in the contention for the party leadership. However, the leadership would be entrusted to the person on whom state leaders have have trust and confidence,” Sarkar said.

The statement of the AICC leader suggests that the ouster of the present PCC president Jayadev Jena is imminent, sources in the party circles said.

It may be noted that the campaign for Jena’s ouster has gathered momentum in the last few days. Thirteen leaders from the state unit, including seven MLAs, had met AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday in what is believed to be an attempt to convince him about the need for a change in the PCC.

Earlier in the week, a host of senior Congress leaders had voiced their opposition to Jena at a ‘Bandhu Milan’ (get together of friends) convened by former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal.

The renewed move to seek Jena’s replacement coincides with the return of veteran Congress leader and three-time Chief Minister JB Patnaik to the state at the end of his five-year term as Assam Governor.