Bhubaneswar: Putting an end to all speculation, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has made it clear that there won’t be any change in the present leadership of Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) for now.
Now, it is clear that Congress leader Prasad Harichandan will remain as the OPCC president.
“Congress President Rahul Gandhi has taken a decision that the presidents of all the Pradesh Congress Committees will continue in their posts even after the organisational election till a decision is taken to replace them,” said AICC General Secretary and MP Jandardan Dwivedi in a statement issued to media Saturday.
The decision, however, seems to have created further discontentment within the faction-ridden party. Reacting to this development, Congress MLA Bhujabal Majhi indirectly blamed the three-member panel that had visited the state last year to take views of leaders on change of OPCC guard.
“We (Congress Legislature Party) had clearly stated to the committee that the OPCC leadership should be changed in the state. The committee submitted its report to the party high command. The high command may have taken the decision on the basis of that report,” Majhi said.
He further said, “We don’t know what was in that report and despite our repeated request if change is not effected, we can’t do anything.” Majhi, however, said that they will abide by the decision of the high command. The AICC had already initiated the process to bring changes to the structure of OPCC in August last, after party’s drubbing in the panchayat elections in which it was pushed to 3rd position.
A three-member AICC panel visited Orissa to study party’s organisational affairs and had recorded views of nearly 700 Congress leaders regarding the party’s present structure and about change of state leadership.
The observers had reportedly submitted their report to Rahul Gandhi to decide on the future course of action for the state Congress.
PNN