BHUBANESWAR: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday reconstituted the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and appointed a new Odisha in-charge fuelling speculation over a possible change in State leadership of the party. A Chellakumar, who was elected from Krishnagiri Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu in 2019 elections, has been appointed as the new Odisha in-charge replacing Jitendra Singh. Singh was appointed as a general secretary and given charge of Assam.
Besides, Congress leader and former Union Minister Bhakta Charan Das has been made a permanent invitee of the CWC and made in-charge of Mizoram and Manipur. Former MP Ramchandra Khuntia, the only CWC member from Odisha, has been dropped. Though there is speculation since the 2019 general elections about complete overhauling of the party’s organisational structure in Odisha after the Congress slid to the third position after BJP, there has been no such move. In fact, the party organisation is continuing in Odisha with only three office-bearers, the OPCC president and two working presidents.
The dissidents, who want president of OPCC Niranjan Patnaik to be replaced, are hopeful of a change in the State leadership. However, many senior leaders do not expect any change in the leadership at this juncture. They instead want office-bearers to be appointed to activate Congress in the State. Meanwhile, Patnaik thanked outgoing Odisha in-charge Singh for his leadership and contribution to the party in the State. Patnaik has also welcomed the appointment of Chellakumar.