BHUBANESWAR: Senior leaders not aligned to any group in the ongoing factional fight in the Congress are contemplating to apprise the high command of the actual situation and the need for a thorough change in the State unit.
"It has become a habit with some leaders to run to Delhi against whoever is appointed as the State Congress president. Besides, lack of coordination with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is also responsible for the downslide of the party in the State," senior legislator Suresh Kumar Routray said.
Routray, a former minister, said while the president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) is discussing with one set of leaders, the AICC is interacting with a different group. There is no coordination between the two groups, he said and added that everybody should be changed. "These people are around for a long time. There should be thorough change," he said and added that he will support whoever is the OPCC president.
Lack of coordination between the OPCC and AICC was exposed on Monday when Odisha in-charge of the All India Youth Congress (AIYC) Pratibha Raghuvansi took exception to the initiative taken by OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik for revival of the youth wing in Odisha. "Only AIYC is authorised to appoint or change state unit presidents of Youth Congress," she said.
Patnaik had constituted a committee headed by Rajya Sabha member Ranjib Biswal for revival of the youth wing of the party which had become dormant for the last several months. Former MP and convenor of the committee Pradip Majhi had announced that new OPYC president will be appointed in a month.
Meanwhile, Odisha in-charge of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Jitendra Singh reached Jharsuguda and proceeded to Sundargarh where he had a meeting with district office-bearers and senior leaders.
Singh will interact with Sambalpur district leaders on Wednesday and arrive at Bhubaneswar on January 16. Singh will meet office-bearers of different DCCs at the Congress Bhavan before leaving for New Delhi on January 17.