Post News Network
New Delhi/Bhubaneswar, July 20: Signalling an apparent rift in Orissa Congress, about a dozen Congress MLAs have come to New Delhi Monday to meet AICC president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi Tuesday to express their grievances against the state party leadership.
It is learnt that the Congress leaders might demand replacement of leader of Oopposition in the Assembly Narashingha Mishra and Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
“We have come here to meet AICC president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi to discuss the political situation in the state and give our suggestions about strengthening the party in Orissa,” said senior Congress leader Naba Kishore Das,refuting allegations of lobbying for dislodging state president or leader of Opposition.
Replying to a question on whether they have consulted PCC president over their meeting with central leadership, Das said, “There is no need to take any one’s permission to meet the party leaders. Ours is a democratic party. Everyone has a right to express views before the leadership.”
The 12 member delegation led by deputy leader of Congress in the Assembly Chiranjib Biswal comprises Talasara MLA Prafulla Majhi, Rajnagar MLA Anshuman Mohanty, Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kishore Das, Sundargarh MLA Jogesh Kumar Singh, Salipur MLA Prakash Chandra Behera, Koraput MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria, Laxmipur MLA Kailash Chandra Kulesika, G.Udayagiri MLA Jacob Pradhan, Aul MLA Devendra Sharma, Paralakhemundi MLA Kengam Surya Rao and Bijepur MLA Subal Sahu.
However, the visit of these leaders immediately a week after the Delhi trip of Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Prasad Harichandan and Narasingha Mishra has raised speculation about a vertical rift in the party. Interestingly, Mishra and Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati have not accompanied the dozen MLAs to Delhi this time.
However, the failure of Harichandan to constitute his new executive team seven months after he took over the OPCC assignment is considered his ‘inefficiency’, a topic which the delegation may discuss with the AICC supremo. The PCC president is also believed to have failed to appoint district-level office-bearers of his party.
However, speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Prafulla Majhi reportedly said the leaders are keen on calling party’s senior leaders to apprise them of the ground realities in Orissa Congress Committee and discuss the future roadmap of the party in the state.
