BHUBANESWAR: In a clear sign of a build-up against the state Congress leadership, suspended leader Chiranjib Biswal on Monday met former president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Jaydev Jena and secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Sarat Rout to discuss matters relating to his suspension.
The meeting took place at Jena’s residence where Rout and several other leaders were present. This is for the first time after his suspension that Biswal has reached out to other leaders in the party to garner support. Rout had recently met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and disciplinary panel member Tariq Anwar at New Delhi to request them to reconsider the suspension of Biswal and Barabati-Cuttack MLA Mohammed Moquim.
Jena told media persons, the issue relating to the suspension of Biswal and Moquim will be taken up with AICC leaders. Stating differences of opinion are always there in a big outfit like the Congress, he recalled leaders like Basant Kumar Biswal and Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra were also suspended from the party. But the suspensions were withdrawn and Congress returned to power in 1995.
Jena said as Biswal and Moquim have announced they will not quit Congress, their suspension should be reconsidered. “BJP and BJD have an understanding. Congress is the only alternative in the opposition and we are ready for the upcoming elections,” he added.
Rout said only the OPCC president and Odisha in-charge A Chellakumar can say how far the suspension was justified. As election is round the corner, I want to say there is a need to reorganise the party and it cannot be done by excluding anyone,” he added. Besides, Jatni MLA Suresh Kumar Routray had also demanded reconsideration of the suspension on the senior leaders in the interest of the party.