Amid speculation surrounding changes in the leadership of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, the party's state in-charge and AICC General Secretary Dr A Chellakumar said a decision on the new party president would most likely be finalized as soon as he would submit the report about the party's recent developments to the party's high command.
"A decision on the new OPCC president would most likely be finalized as soon as I submit the report about the party's developments in the State to the party's high command," said the Congress leader to media persons on Wednesday.
Present OPCC president Niranjan Patnayak resigned from his post in 2019, just after the Odisha Assembly elections and 2019 General Elections. Therefore, demands for a complete overhaul of the party in Odisha have grown louder after the recently held urban and rural elections.
In the urban civic elections last month, Congress won only seven of the 108 urban local bodies (ULBs). It failed to open its account in the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation election.
Congress Legislature has been demanding that the post of President of OPCC should be given to someone from the legislature. In this regard, senior Congress leader, Suresh Kumar Rautray told media persons earlier that OPCC presidents are appointed as per the choice of Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik.
For this statement, a show-cause notice has been issued by the Congress party to Jatani constituency MLA Routray by the party president and had submitted his written statement to Chellakumar in this regard.
Chellakumar on Wednesday told media persons, "I will submit a report to the AICC, and the party will take a final decision on who will lead the OPCC next."
"We had received the incumbent state Congress president Niranjan Patnaik's resignation in 2019. The next leader will be appointed after thorough consultations and taking into consideration the views of all leaders and lawmakers from the party in the state. The ultimate objective is to rejuvenate the party and bring it back to power in the state," he added.
Among the names doing rounds for the post are former state Congress president Sarat Patnaik, Cuttack-Barabati MLA Mohammad Moquim and AICC general secretary Bhakta Charan Das. The party's high command will decide who will lead the state during the 2024 General Election.
( With inputs from ANI )
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