Prasad Harichandan takes onus of Bijepur debacle, steps down as OPCC chief

Bhubaneswar: Owing moral responsibility for the defeat of party candidate in Bijepur bypoll, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan today stepped down from his position.

Party sources said Harichandan sent his resignation letter to Congress president Rahul Gandhi. However, he could not be contacted for immediate comment.

The party high command is yet to decide whether to accept his resignation, or not, sources said.

The Congress Party which had held the Bijepur Assembly seat three terms in a row came third this time with 10,274 votes and the candidate Pranaya Sahu lost his deposit.

BJD’s Rita Sahu emerged victorious by a huge margin securing 102,871 votes followed by BJP’s Ashok Panigrahi who grabbed 60,938 votes. Congress’ Sahu was a distant third with 10,274 votes.

The BJD won a staggering 56 per cent of the polled votes, while the BJP won 33.53 per cent and the Congress a mere 5.65 per cent, EC official said