No place and prestige in party, says Bijay Patnaik after resigning from Congress

At a time when efforts were said to be on to unite the party after the 2024 poll debacle, senior leader Bijay Patnaik on Friday resigned from the Odisha Congress.

Former Odisha chief secretary Bijay Patnaik was unhappy over the working and functioning of the party. He was also upset as he was allegedly not allowed to work inside the party. It is pertinent to mention here that Bijay Patnaik earlier spearheaded the Campaign Committee of the Congress as its chairman.

Patnaik had joined the Congress last year and had taken several measures to improve the party’s prospects in the state. However, he was removed from the Campaign Committee.

On Friday, Patnaik tendered his resignation via email to AICC.

In his reaction, Patnaik said, “ I have no place and prestige in the party. I decided to quit as my services were not useful. I will not join any party rather will go to people and serve them.”

Senior journalist Prasanna Mohanty said, “Bijay Patnaik’s joining Congress was a big event. The party had given importance to him but gradually he was sidelined. The newly formed Committee did not have Bijay Patnaik’s name. Apart from giving him a ticket to contest in the 2024 elections, the Congress could not utilise the bureaucrat-turned-politician’s experience and expertise.”

Mohanty further said that the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee is now being controlled by the AICC from Delhi.
The AICC today had named four leaders- Rama Chandra Kadam, Santosh Singh Saluja, Srikanta Jena and Biswaranjan Mohanty to make statements to media on behalf of OPCC. However, Patnaik’s name did not figure in the list, said Mohanty.

“Bijay Patnaik’s resignation from Congress will have a negative impact on the party in the state. Similarly, it is also concerning the way Odisha Congress is functioning without a chief. The AICC is confused and all is also not well in OPCC as several leaders have been sidelined,” Mohanty added.