Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday advised senior Congress leaders of the State to work unitedly to improve the party’s performance in Odisha.
Rahul is reported to have given this piece of advice during his meeting with four senior leaders from the State in New Delhi. The leaders who attended the meeting were Union minister Srikant Jena, Kalahandi MP Bhakta Charan Das, AICC secretary and former president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Jaydev Jena and former working president of OPCC Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra.
Sources said Rahul inquired from the four leaders on the state of party’s organisation. He, however, impressed upon the leaders to bury differences and work for the party’s improvement in the State. He is reported to have said that the party can make a difference if senior leaders can work collectively.
The meeting of the four leaders with Rahul had sparked off speculations in the political circles here about organisational restructuring of the Congress in the State. Rahul is, however, reported to have told the leaders to leave the organisational matters to him. But he inquired about the organisational position of the Congress in Odisha. Sources said former president of Odisha Pradesh Youth Congress (OPYC) Pradip Majhi will meet Rahul on Tuesday in New Delhi.
Rahul has started the process of consultation with the State leaders after his two-day visit to Odisha on February 18 and 19. He held discussions with State party president, MPs and senior leaders.
Rahul had emphasised on discipline and empowerment of grassroots workers of the party during his two-day visit to the State.
The meeting in New Delhi has assumed significance as the AICC has already started the process of selection of candidates for Assembly constituencies.
AICC in-charge for Odisha Jagdish Tytler had already completed discussions with the presidents of the District Congress Committees (DCCs) last week. All the DCC presidents were asked to submit a list of three probable candidates for the Assembly constituencies in their area.