JAGATSINGHPUR: Former MLA and senior leader Chiranjib Biswal on Saturday resigned from Congress, dealing a blow to the party’s prospects in Jagatsinghpur assembly seat and creating a void in the district.
Biswal, son of Congress stalwart Basant Kumar Biswal, submitted his resignation letter to Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak.
Having previously represented the Tirtol constituency in the Odisha Legislative Assembly and later winning from Jagatsinghpur in 2014, Biswal’s exit leaves a vacuum in Congress ranks in the region.
While Biswal remained tight-lipped about his future course of action, reliable sources informed that he might join the ruling party and fight from Jagatsinghpur assembly seat.
With Biswal’s departure, the Congress party’s problems of finding viable candidates across all four assembly seats in the district - Jagatsinghpur, Balikuda-Erasama, Tirtol, and Paradip has just compounded. The party has reportedly started scouting for new, young leaders to fill the void and challenge the BJD and BJP candidates in the upcoming elections.
Former Balikuda MLA Lalatendu Mohapatra’s reluctance to contest from Balikuda-Erasama has added to the party’s headache, especially after his defeat in the 2019 elections. Mohapatra confirms that he will not contest from the seat in the upcoming election. “I am not in the race to secure the party ticket for the seat,” he said.
Additionally, the impending switch of trade union leader Bapi Sarkhel to the BJD, further weakens Congress’s position in both Balikuda-Erasama and Paradip constituencies. His wife Monidipa Sarkhel had earlier joined the ruling party and Bapi is expected to follow suit.
Acknowledging the impact of Biswal’s resignation, district Congress president Natabar Barik said the party has already made a list of new, dynamic leaders to take on the BJD and BJP contenders in the upcoming polls.
Meanwhile, the Congress has reportedly zeroed in on former Jagatsinghpur Municipality chairman Biplab Kumar Chaudhry as its candidate for the Jagatsinghpur assembly seat, with Himansu Mallick, Niranjan Nayak and Nalini Kumar Swain being considered for Tirtol, Paradip and Balikuda-Erasama seats, respectively. Pramita Mallick is likely to be fielded from the Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seat.
In Tirtol, Mallick has already intensified campaign despite party’s weak base in the constituency.