BHUBANESWAR: Internal rift in the state Congress resurfaced with senior leader and former MLA Mohammed Moquim raising a banner of revolt against the leadership of Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das over the party’s defeat in the by-election to the Nuapada Assembly constituency held last month.
In a letter to former AICC president and Rajya Sabha member Sonia Gandhi, Moquim said the defeat of the party by an unprecedented margin of over 83,000 votes in an Assembly segment which comes under the Parliamentary constituency of the OPCC president has demoralised the party rank and file.
“When a leader cannot secure trust in his own constituency, workers naturally lose confidence in his leadership and raise concerns in his ability,” he added.
Questioning Das’ appointment as OPCC president who has lost three consecutive elections, Moquim said he was associated with a political ideology historically opposed to the Congress. His criticism of the Gandhi family during the JP movement is still remembered by many, Moquim said and added that open support of Das and his MLA son Sagar Das for Kosal state demand has created unrest among party leaders.
Moquim did not spare the central leadership for its choice of Sarat Pattanayak as OPCC president in 2023. Stating that his appointment weakened morale at all levels, he said Congress had the lowest ever vote share of 13 per cent in 2024 Assembly elections under his leadership.
The Congress leader said the recent outcomes in Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Kashmir elections where the party lost by staggering margins, are not just electoral setbacks, they reflect a deeper organisational disconnect.
“A series of wrong decisions, misguided leadership choices and continued concentration of responsibility in the wrong hands have weakened the party from within,” he added.
Claiming that growing distance between the leadership and grassroots workers has led to this, Moquim said even when he was an MLA he was unable to meet Rahul Gandhi for three years. Booth workers, block presidents and district-level leaders who are the backbone of the party feel unseen and unheard, he added.
Moquim said alienation of youth from the party is also an issue of concern. Under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge who is 83 years old, the party is unable to connect with the youth, he added.
OPCC president Das refused to react. “I will not react to what he (Moquim) has said,” he added.