BHUBANESWAR: With elections just a few months away, the ageing leadership of the state Congress has emerged as a problem as several veteran politicians of the party are unlikely to enter the fray. This is likely to impact the party’s electoral fortunes seriously due to the lack of a second line of leadership at many places.
Besides, the announcement of the retirement of the senior leaders from electoral politics has also led to the emergence of dynastic politics in the party. The senior leaders are seen promoting the entry of their sons or relatives to politics but not always in the Congress.
Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingha Mishra recently announced that he will not contest the next Assembly election. Mishra represents the Balangir Assembly constituency and is one of the few leaders in the Congress who has grassroots connect.
Mishra announced that his younger son Samarendra Mishra is likely to contest from the Balangir Assembly seat. Samarendra is a member of the AICC and had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from the Balangir seat unsuccessfully. Mishra had, however, made it clear that Samarendra will contest on a Congress ticket and there is no chance of his joining any other political party.
Senior Congress legislator Suresh Kumar Routray is also promoting his younger son Manmath Routray to contest from the Jatni Assembly seat. But it is not clear from which political party Manmath will contest. Congress had recently suspended Manmath, an OPCC member, for stating that he will not contest on a Congress ticket. Sources maintained that Manmath is likely to contest on a BJD ticket.Sources said, senior leader and former OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik also faces a similar situation.
Though he is yet to announce retirement from electoral politics, Patnaik is unlikely to enter the fray during the next election. Patnaik’s son Nabajyoti Patnaik had contested from the Balasore Lok Sabha seat in 2019 election unsuccessfully. Besides, Congress has several other senior leaders who are closing on retirement without any replacement. Former speaker Kishore Chandra Patel, Jagannath Patnaik and ex-MP Anant Prasad Sethi are unlikely to have an impact in the next election.