BHUBANESWAR: As demand for overhaul of Congress leadership gains ground, a majority of partymen in Odisha - where the grand old party (GOP) has been out of power for 20 years and in a mess - wants a full time and effective leadership at the national level to check its downward spiral in last six years. They, of course, want a Gandhi to be at the helm.
Without a Gandhi, most feel, it would be very difficult to prevent the party from disintegrating. The leaders, however, have decided to wait and watch after interim president Sonia Gandhi asked partymen to get together and find a new chief in response to the letter from 23 senior leaders calling for sweeping changes to guide the party’s revival.
Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingh Mishra said the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will take a right decision at the right time on the leadership issue. He, however, said Rahul Gandhi has shown the way by insisting on not accepting the party president’s post. “Let us wait for the CWC’s decision,” he said.
Former MP Pradip Majhi, however, said there should be a full time president and immediate decision is required in this regard to boost the morale of the workers. “But without a Gandhi, Congress cannot remain one,” he said. There are others who feel that CWC will again request Sonia to continue as the party chief till a permanent president is appointed. Congress will breakdown without a Gandhi at the top, senior leader Sarat Rout, a former minister, maintains. Another former minister Ganeswar Behera echoes similar feelings.
Like at the national level, Congress faces similar situation in the State where the party is out of power since last 20 years. For the last 11 months, the state unit is headed by president Niranjan Patnaik with only two other working presidents while a section of partymen want him removed for the party’s debacle in the 2019 General Elections. The ‘change Patnaik’ move, meanwhile, received a boost on Sunday with at least four MLAs meeting at the residence of Congress whip in Assembly Taraprasad Bahinipati.
Several Congress leaders assembled at Bahinipati’s residence ahead of the CWC meeting on Monday. Even though there is no decision to change the State leadership now, two MLAs Dasarathi Gomango from Mohana and Ramesh Jena from Sanakhemundi backed Bahinipati for the post. Several other leaders, including former OPCC president Jayadev Jena, maintained that things related to the Odisha leadership will be clear only after the CWC meeting.However, CWC member Ram Chandra Khuntia and Rout said there has been no discussion for a change in Odisha leadership. “Patnaik has already resigned and he will go only after another leader is appointed,” Rout said.