Internal fighting continues in Odisha Congress
BHUBANESHWAR: While the Odisha Congress remained dormant following the party's poor performance in the Zilla Parishad polls, a fresh verbal duel between two senior leaders has put a spanner on its revival efforts.
This time, Congress chief whip in the Assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati has criticised Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Prasad Harichandan for launching a proxy war against party MLAs through his father-in-law and former minister Suresh Kumar Routray.
Alleging that Suresh Kumar Routray had disrespected leader of the Opposition (LOP) Narasingh Mishra, MLAs and other leaders of the party by his statements, Tara Prasad Bahinipati advised him to refrain from such activities.
"Both Prasad Harichandan and Suresh Kumar Routray have been defeated and they have no right to disrespect the MLAs and other party leaders. Routray’s statement against LOP and others is unfortunate," said Tara Prasad Bahinipati "We will not tolerate any kind of indiscipline, disrespect or goondaism. We are trying to save the Congress party and will meet the high command over the issue," Tara Prasad Bahinipati said.
Bahinipati asked Routray to stop giving statements against the OPCC president and other AICC functionaries. "AICC would certainly take action against those creating indiscipline," he said.
Suresh Kumar Routray had drawn Bahinipati’s ire for criticising Narasingh Mishra and MLAs for not meeting AICC general secretary in-charge Odisha BK Hariprasad on June 3 when the meeting between Meira Kumar and Congress MLAs was cancelled.