BHUBANESWAR:As activities at the grassroots level of the Congress after the new leadership took over have energised the party apparatus, differences at the district level are yet to subside even after strong warning by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik against it.
Besides, delay in announcement of the list of State office-bearers has led to speculation about the size of the team Congress will have ahead of the 2019 elections. The party has already appointed presidents for 33 organisational districts by changing 22 district chiefs while 11 have retained their posts. Patnaik has also announced that booth level committees of the party will be in place by July 15. With BJD and BJP far ahead of organisational preparedness, the Congress does not have much time left to set the party apparatus right before next polls.
However, open differences among senior leaders of the party in Koraput district, a Congress stronghold, is likely to spoil whatever progress the party has made during the last one month. Differences among senior leaders of Koraput cropped up again on Monday during a meeting to felicitate working president of OPCC Pradip Majhi and other district office-bearers.
President of the Koraput District Congress Committee Meenakshi Bahinipati and Congress chief whip in the Assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati did not attend though two other MLAs from the district, Kailash Chandra Kulesika and Krushna Chandra Sagaria were present.Earlier, Koraput DCC president had also not attended the meeting of district presidents called by the OPCC president at Bhubaneswar.
Except one or two districts, differences seem to have been resolved for the time being.The OPCC president has told the ticket aspirants that their performance is being taken into account and district presidents have been directed to give reports every month. ‘Sources said this time, party tickets will be decided by the villagers and not by AICC or OPCC.