Odisha Congress leaders vow to strengthen party

Bhubaneswar: After a series of incidents reflecting intra-party bickering, senior Congress leaders and workers on Sunday resolved to strengthen the party at the PCC Coordination Committee meeting convened by its president Prasad Harichandan at the Congress Bhawan here today.

The meeting, among other things, laid emphasis on strengthening the party organisation, efforts to bring down intra-party feud among the leaders, preparation of a blueprint for the ensuing Panchayat elections, strategies to counter the BJD and BJP and ensuring the success of the visit of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to the state.

Talking to media persons after the meeting, senior leader and Jagatsinghpur MLA Chiranjib Biswal said all members ed expressed their opinion on how to strengthen the party from the grassroots level. They also suggested convening of the coordination committee meeting at regular intervals to find ways to further strengthen the party.

He also emphasised on frequent meeting of the coordination committee in the interest of the party. “Through such meetings, the party will be able to sort out any misunderstanding and we will try our best to solve it,” he said.

“There is no misunderstanding in the party. All party workers and leaders their views and suggestions on formulation of strategies for the ensuing Panchayat elections, strengthening the party base in the state and party’s future course of action. All members of the party announced that they have no difference of opinion," senior leader Sarat Rout said.

Briefing the media, former Rajya Sabha member and labour union leader Rama Chandra Khuntia said the party, under the leadership of the PCC president, has decided to formulate a specific strategy in the coming days to counter the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the NDA government and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who have been shedding crocodile tears for the farmers of the state.

However, all eyes were on Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra, who had created ripples in the party with the formation of a new outfit Lulu Sena.

When asked about the outcome of the meeting, he said the meeting discussed several issues and the members gave their opinion.

Asked about his opinion at the meeting, he said “Who am I to give opinion? It is for the party to take a collective decision”.