BHUBANESWAR: Hundreds of well-wishers of late Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra today congregated in his residence on the occasion of a get-together in his memory.
Significantly, several senior Congress leaders including the leader of the opposition in the assembly Narasingh Mishra, former president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Niranjan Patnaik, Rajya Sabha MP Ranjib Biswal, deputy leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Chiranjib Biswal,
Congress chief whip in the assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati, former speaker of the assembly Kishore Chandra Patel and former minister Jagannath Patnaik were present on the occasion.
OPCC president Prasad Harichandan was conspicuous by his absence. However, the leader of the opposition rubbished talks of a new alignment in the Congress due to the presence of the senior leaders
on the occasion. Mohapatra was a committed Congressmen and had told media persons before his death that he will die a Congressmen, he said.
"The message for those who love Mohapatra is to work for strengthen the Congress and keep it united rather than work for its division," he said and added that nobody should try to make the party weak.
The Congress chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati said the OPCC president should withdraw suspension of followers of Mohapatra as promised by him.
Mohapatra's younger brother Lalitendu Mohapatra and his daughter Upanasa Mohapatra announced to carry forward the legacy of the late Congress leader.