BHUBANESWAR: In what seems to be a step towards streamlining Congress organisation in the State, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday met two senior leaders from Odisha and is reported to have discussed organisational matters.
President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Prasad Harichandan, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Narasingh Mishra and general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) BK Hariprasad met Gandhi in the evening. Both the State leaders were summoned by Gandhi. The meeting lasted for more than 15 minutes.
Sources said Gandhi is meeting senior Congress leaders from States to take stock of the situation before the AICC session, dates of which are yet to be announced.
Mishra said there was no agenda for the meeting. Political scenario of the State was discussed, he said.
The meeting of the two senior leaders with Gandhi assumes significance as the names of State level office-bearers are yet to be announced even though Harichandan took over as the OPCC president nearly six months back. Resentment is growing among the party leaders because of the delay in announcement of the office-bearers as it has affected party’s preparations for the 2017 panchayat polls.
More than 50 blocks in the State do not have a Congress president while at many places the organisational network has become defunct because of repeated defeat of the party in elections.
Importance is being given to strengthen the party’s base in tribal areas of the State after veteran leader Giridhar Gamang joined BJP. Sources in the Congress, however, said the list of State level office-bearers is likely to be announced by the end of July.