BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has decided not to prioritise giving tickets to leaders, who return to the party’s fold ahead of the elections.The decision was reportedly taken at a meeting between OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak and All Indian Congress Committee (AICC) leaders including party president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi last week. However, those who join the party from rival political parties like the BJD and BJP will be considered for tickets.
A senior leader told The New Indian Express at a time when the party has already given go-ahead to candidates in nearly 60 Assembly constituencies, return of old faces to the its fold will only create chaos and not be beneficial during elections. Highlighting the poll preparedness of the party, Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati told mediapersons only winning candidates will be given tickets for the upcoming elections.
Stating Congress is united, Bahinipati said even he had differences with party MP from Koraput Saptagiri Ulaka but now they have joined hands for the election. “We will travel in the Congress bus together,” he added.
The Congress bus will roll in Odisha from January 21. Party leaders and MLAs are slated to visit all Assembly constituencies the state in the bus with the aim of building a close relationship with voters. All MLAs, MPs and senior leaders will travel in the bus to campaign for the party for the general elections.
Meanwhile, sources said state CPI leaders met Pattanayak at the Congress Bhawan here for a preliminary round of discussion for seat sharing. While the CPI state leadership is keen to field its candidate from Aska, it is likely to contest in four to five Assembly seats.