Bhubaneswar: While leaders of Odisha Congress are busy with ‘Jagaran Yatra’ in the State, the meeting of four party MLAs with vice president Rahul Gandhi in the national capital on Wednesday, has been widely discussed in the party circles.
Briefing newsmen in Bhubaneswar after the arrival of the four party members from Delhi, PCC vice president and party MLA Yogesh Singh said he along with his three colleagues—Naba Das, Subala Sahu and Anshuman Mohanty—had discussed about the party’s organization with Rahul Gandhi.
“Besides, we proposed Gandhi to reinduct suspended leader Soumya Ranjan Patnaik to the party and assign responsibilities to former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik, Singh added.
Reacting to the statement of Singh, party’s spokesperson Debasis Patnaik said after 15 months of the general polls, the four party MLAs met Rahul Gandhi and gave their personal opinion.
Talking about Yogesh Singh, Debasis said the former had not taken the ticket from Niranjan Patnaik. Rather, he was given the party ticket when Jayadev Jena was the OPCC president.
“Congress is strong enough and whoever will be supported by the party president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi will have the mandate. He (Yogesh) does not seem to put forth his comments responsibly before media.”
Meanwhile, OPCC chief Prasad Harichandan said, “The MLAs were called for a meeting in New Delhi and it has nothing to do with Jagarasn Yatra.”
Meanwhile reacting on the development, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik said, "Those who have suspended me should acknowledge their mistake first."
"I am not aware about the meeting of four MLAs with Rahul Gandhi," Patnaik stated.