BHUBANESWAR: Factionalism has reared its head again in the state unit of the Congress with senior leaders demanding resignation of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak for the party’s poor performance in the elections.
Former finance minister Panchanan Kanungo on Thursday said Congress fought 2024 election with a mission to win 90 Assembly seats and form the government in Odisha. But the party failed to achieve the target and even the OPCC chief lost the election miserably from Nuapada. Pattanayak should resign taking moral responsibility.
Former OPCC president Jaydev Jena also said it is the moral obligation of Pattanayak to resign from his post. “I was assigned the responsibility to win the elections by the central leadership in 2014. After the party’s defeat in the polls, I owned moral responsibility and announced my resignation from OPCC president’s post the same day the results were declared,” he said.
However, Pattanayak said Congress has shown signs of resurgence in the state. The number of MLAs has increased from nine in 2019 to 14 this time. At many places, the vote percentage of Congress has increased, he added.