BHUBANESWAR: Hundreds of well wishers of Congress leader late Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra on Monday congregated at his residence on the occasion of a get-together in his memory.
Significantly, several senior Congress leaders including Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Narasingh Mishra, former president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Niranjan Patnaik, Rajya Sabha member Ranjib Biswal, deputy leader of 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 Opposition rubbished talks of a new alignment in the Congress due to presence of senior leaders at the event. Mohapatra was a committed Congressmen and had told mediapersons before his death that he will die a Congressmen, Mishra said.
“The message for those who love Mohapatra is to work for strengthening 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.
Bahinipati said the OPCC president should withdraw suspension of followers of Mohapatra as promised by him.
Mohapatra’s younger brother Lalitendu Mohapatra and daughter Upanasa Mohapatra announced to carry forward the legacy of the Congress leader.