Would Rahul Gandhi’s visit spur Congress revival in Odisha?

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Bhubaneswar on July 11. However, growing discontent over Odisha PCC chief Bhakta Das’ ‘abrupt’ decisions on the district leadership threatens to overshadow the event, stirring unease within the party ranks.

Speculations are doing the rounds ‘whether his visit will help revitalize Congress in Odisha'.

Also Read: Congress will revive in Odisha amid political upheavals: Jayadev Jena

For the first time since the 2024 General Elections, the Congress high command has sent a strong message of revival by planning a major event in the State Capital in July.

Rahul Gandhi, along with the AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and party General Secretary KC Venugopal, will address a rally at Baramunda High School Ground expected to inject fresh energy into the state unit.

Despite visible excitement in the party over the high-profile visit, discontent brews beneath the surface. At the heart of the unrest lies a controversy involving state Congress chief Das, who recently announced interim district presidents across 35 organisational districts.

Just days after issuing the appointments, another directive reversed the previous decision, downgrading the interim presidents to mere district coordinators.

This ‘abrupt’ flip-flop, triggered by pressure from the AICC and the adoption of a Gujarat-style district leadership model, has frustrated party workers and leaders alike.

“The way Gujarat is being given importance, Odisha is also being given importance in the same way. The selections will be done most democratically and the district presidents will be empowered. It will be like an election and the process would begin the next month (in July) and is likely to be completed in a month,” Bhakta Das had said.

Many believe Bhakta Das bypassed AICC procedures in his initial decision-making, leading to internal tensions and a quiet backlash from senior leaders.

Former PCC president Jaydev Jena is among those who supported the Gujarat model from the beginning and hinted at poor coordination between AICC and PCC. Political observers argue this episode reflects a deeper lack of alignment within the Congress leadership.

Meanwhile, leaders who had initially celebrated their elevation as district presidents now feel demoralised, a mood that could dampen the energy of Rahul Gandhi’s upcoming rally.

However, publicly, district-level leaders are maintaining composure, stating they will respect whatever decisions the AICC makes.

Sources suggest that Bhakta Das’s failure to strengthen the grassroots organisation even after six months in office may have prompted this sudden shake-up. As internal resentment simmers, all eyes are now on Rahul Gandhi’s visit, and whether it can genuinely unify a ‘fractured’ Congress in Odisha.