Odisha Congress chief hints at party revamp soon

Bhubaneswar: The Congress party in Odisha will be revamped right from the grassroots level soon, informed Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) chief Prasad Harichandan today.

“Congress will have a ‘Nabakalebara’ (revamp) from booth-level to the top,” Harichandan told mediapersons stating further that results of the organisational election will be declared soon.

Sources said senior members of Congress are meeting the party’s Odisha in-charge Jitendra Singh to discuss about the party affairs and possible changes in the party organisation.

Congress leaders are hopeful that change in the party organisation, as stated by the OPCC chief, will strengthen the party for the 2019 general polls.

“Keeping in view the political situation both at the State and national level, a revamp of Congress will strengthen the party and even might help it come to power in 2019,” said Ananta Sethi, Congress leader.

“He (Jitendra Singh) will visit Odisha soon. The State Congress will function under a new ideology and with an aim to win in 2019,” stated former PCC chief Jayadev Jena.

Opposition chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said, “It is up to Rahul Gandhi to decide who will stay and who will be removed. As he (Harichandan) has said about ‘Nabakalebara’, it includes change in party leadership as well.”

Replying to a query, Bahinipati said, “Whether Prasad will remain OPCC chief or not will be decided by the party’s national president Rahul Gandhi and Odisha-in charge Jitendra Singh.”

As per sources, a faction in the party has been strongly lobbying for a change in the State leadership. Even some leaders have been vocal in recent past about changes in the party organisation.