BHUBANESWAR: Strong resentment has come to the fore from a section of the party days after the announcement of the state office-bearers by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das.
Several senior leaders, including former MLAs Panchanan Kanungo and Mohammed Moquim were missing in the office-bearers’ list. Stating that there is strong resentment among the leaders, Kanungo said the team should have been more balanced and representative.
Stating that the OPCC president chose his team, Kanungo said Congress is unlikely to benefit much from such a team if resentment persists among the leaders. On why he was left out, the former minister said that he had declined to be an office-bearer.
Similarly, Moquim, a former MLA and popular leader with strong organisational skills has also been left out. He was in contention for the OPCC president post. His daughter Sofia Firdous is the sitting MLA from Barabati-Cuttack constituency. Though several first-time MLAs have been appointed as office-bearers, Sofia has been ignored.
Moquim did not want to discuss the organisational matters of the party. The former MLA said he had declined to be a member of the new office-bearers team. “I have nothing to comment on the team,” he added.