BHUBANESWAR: In a major setback to Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das ahead of the visit of national president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi on July 11, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has cancelled the appointment of interim presidents in all the organisational districts of the state.
Das had appointed interim presidents in the organisational districts in view of the visit of the national leaders, and anticipating that they will be approved by the central leadership. However, the central leadership has instead asked Das to cancel the appointments as district chiefs will be announced by the AICC. Das has been asked to appoint the interim presidents as convenors till a new list of district presidents is announced.
The development has come as a big blow for Das who was presumed to have been given a free hand by the central leaders in the affairs of the party in Odisha. A senior leader of the party told this paper that Das should have taken the approval before announcing the interim presidents which is why the appointments were cancelled.
Meanwhile, Meenakshi Bahinipati, wife of senior Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati, has been appointed as the president of the state Mahila Congress by AICC. This will be the second consecutive time that Meenakshi will hold the post.