SUNDARGARH: The District Congress Committee on Thursday held a review meeting to discuss the reasons behind the party’s poll debacle in Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency and the Assembly segments under it.
Congress lost the Lok Sabha seat as well as five of the seven Assembly segments under it in the recently-concluded General Elections. The party emerged victorious in one Assembly seat and it had left Bonai for alliance partner CPM.
Defeated Lok Sabha candidate from Sundargarh and former Birmitrapur MLA George Tirkey accused some leaders of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) and the district unit of working against the party leading to its miserable performance. He exhorted Congress workers to set aside all differences and start working for revival of the party at the booth and grassroots levels.
George also demanded restoration of ballot system in polling and withdrawal of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). He claimed EVM tampering in the simultaneous polls in Sundargarh. Former three-time MLA Dr Prafulla Majhi, who failed to retain Talsara seat, also blamed some State Congress and district leaders for the party’s poor show in the elections and demanded action against them.
Other defeated Congress candidates from Sundargarh, RN Pali and Birmitrapur Assembly seats Amita Biswal, Prashant Sethi and George’s son Rohit Joseph Tirkey also blamed factionalism for the party’s poll debacle.
The only winning Congress MLA from Rajgangpur Dr CS Rajen Ekka advised the gathering not to get demoralised but work hard to rebuild the party. Other Congress leaders claimed that Narendra Modi-led BJP and Naveen Patnaik’s BJD returned to power at the Centre and in Odisha respectively with false promises and urged party workers to expose them. Among others, OPCC general secretary R K Sarangi and several district Congress leaders were present.