Bhubaneswar, July 17 Former Odisha MLA Chiranjib Biswal, who was recently suspended from the Congress, made it clear on Monday that he will contest the 2024 elections either on a party ticket or as an Independent.
Speaking to mediapersons for the first time since his suspension, Biswal said, “I will definitely fight the 2024 polls. I may fight as an Independent candidate or on any other political party ticket.”
Without naming anybody, Biswal criticised the Odisha Congress leadership for his suspension, alleging that a group of conspirators are behind it.
Claiming that he is a disciplined member of the Congress, the ex-MLA said, “I have worked to strengthen the party and the media is witness to it. I had given some suggestions to the party in this regard. However, the group of conspirators were not ready to tolerate it.”
“Despite strong waves in favour of the BJD, I won the Assembly elections in 2004 and 2014. Those who are hatching a conspiracy against me have not won a single election in the past 25 years. They even lost their deposits in the elections,” he said.
"If the Congress leadership is thinking that because of my seminar, the vote share of Congress reduced to around 4,000 votes in the Jharsuguda bypoll, why did the vote percentage of the party come down in Dhamnagar and Padampur bypolls and who is responsible for that," he asked.
The Congress had got around 16 per cent votes in the 2019 Assembly elections. After that, five bypolls were held and the party candidates got only 3 to 4 per cent of votes, except in the Tirtol bypoll in which the party’s vote share increased from 16 per cent to 18 per cent, Biswal said.
Biswal urged all Congress workers and activists to unite to fight against the conspiracy and save the party.
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