BHUBANESWAR: The internal wrangling in the Congress appears to be widening as along with Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das, pressure is mounting on the leadership for replacing the leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Ram Chandra Kadam.
According to party sources, an influential section of Congress leaders and MLAs has sought the removal of Kadam, contending that the party has been unable to corner the government on major issues in the Assembly under his leadership. They have stated that Kadam has failed to lead from the front and often given way to individual MLAs to take leadership on issues inside the Assembly.
The state leadership is also learnt to be dissatisfied with Kadam over his inability to keep the MLAs united during the Rajya Sabha elections in March, when three Congress legislators cross-voted in favour of BJP-backed Independent candidate Dilip Ray. The strength of the 14-member CLP has since come down to 11 following the suspension of the three MLAs for cross-voting.
Sources said groups of MLAs have met senior party leaders in New Delhi several times over the past three months demanding Kadam’s ouster. They have argued that the legislature party requires a leader who can effectively present the party’s position both inside the Assembly and before the people.
According to sources, the party leadership has, in principle, decided to replace Kadam. However, the question of his successor remains unresolved. As Kadam is a tribal and enjoys a support base in his Pottangi Assembly constituency, the leadership is looking to appoint another tribal leader in his place. However, sources said, the state leadership and a majority of Congress MLAs favour an upper-caste CLP leader.
Sources said that the central party leadership is likely to take a decision next month to coincide with the monsoon session of Assembly which is set to be held during July last week or August first week.