Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jan 6:

Former Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Niranjan Patnaik has advised the newly elected President Prasad Harichandan to get the youth of state on board and delegate responsibilityto them for the revival of the party.

Niranjan Patnaik, Former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik, Former PCC president

Patnaik has also urged the new President of his party, who has called for a ‘Chintan Baithak’ (brainstorming session)tomorrow, to “take the political programmes to the masses instead of limiting it to the PCC office and the media.”  While announcing complete support and cooperation from his side for Harichandan, Patnaik advised him, “You need to go to the masess and create new leaders”..

"Congress party once was the address for most intellectuals of the country. We still have intellectuals in the party. However, only time can tell if the old glory can be restored. How the party uses them, delegates them with appropriate responsibility and honors them will decide its future course," the senior Congress leader said at an informal get togtehr with media persons here yesterday.

“Naveen government has misled the public about industrialization, farmers' benefits and duped them in mining and chit fund scams. This misgovernance has been going on since past 14 years. But the Congress couldn’t benefit from anti-incumbency and establish itself as an alternative,” he said.

Recalling the successful ‘Parivartan Rally’ he organized as PCC chief in 2012, he regretted that no such program was conducted later to revive the party. “Naveen has built this fort of success because of the inability of Congress. This fort is not impregnable; but sincere and suatined effort is needed ti breach it,” he added.

Focusing on participation of youth in political process, he said that the current political process is not issue oriented, as it should be. “Congress needs to create awareness and debate issues. We also need to encourage and standby the youth to get them ready for the challenges of tomorrow,” said Patnaik.