BHUBANESWAR: Supporters and followers of senior Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra floated 'Lulu Sena' today during his birthday celebrations.
The 'Lulu Sena' to be headed by Rajendra Panda, a follower of Mohapatra and secretary of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) is likely to act as a pressure group in the Congress. Mohapatra, however, said that the Sena does not have any political aim.
Floating of the 'Lulu Sena' was not pre-planned, the senior Congress leader said and added some of his supporters who wanted to celebrate his birthday had conceived such an organisation.
Mohapatra, however, said that he will try to unite those who worked with him for the last 30 years for the revival of the Congress.
Panda said a meeting of the Sena activists will be convened within the next eight to ten days to elect office-bearers. The Sena will be mainly engaged in social work, Panda said and added that Mohapatra has supporters and sympathisers across party lines.
Sources said that Mohapatra is not pulling on well with the state leadership after the lukewarm support for the throwing of eggs on ministers started by some Chhatra Congress activists. Besides, the Yuva Garjan Samabesh proposed to be organised by the Odisha State Youth Congress (OPYC) in Bhubaneswar was also not supported by the state leadership.
The Yuva Garjan Samabesh was originally scheduled on February 2.
The proposed rally by the Youth Congress had to be deferred to February 15 as the Congress celebrated 10 years of introduction of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) across the country on February 2.
However, the date of the Yuva Garjan Samabesh is yet to be finalised. Sources said that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) will finalise the date and venue of the Samabesh.