After a two-day discussion with newly appointed district Congress office bearers including working presidents here, Patnaik said without chasing for posts, party leaders should work in strengthening the party.
Party sources said Patnaik also issued a whip to the party leaders to refrain from making statements in media. Rather the leaders have been asked to lodge their grievances in appropriate party forum. The PCC chief has reportedly given party activists over '12 mantras' during the two-day conference and meeting with the office bearers from across the State.
“There was no intra-party rift earlier and opportunity will not be given for any differences in future,” Patnaik said emphatically.
Posts are limited whereas aspirants are many. “Once party programme starts, such discontent will vanish. Only if the party forms government in the State, leaders will get suitable positions,” the PCC chief added.
PCC working president, Chiranjibi Biswal said, 'Those who will violate party discipline will face stringent action.'
Meanwhile, absence of Koraput district president chief Minakshi Bahinipati during the review meeting of 23 district presidents and working presidents of western and coastal Odisha raised many eyebrows.
Adding fuel to fire, Laxmipur MLA Kailash Chandra Kulesika said a meeting was earlier held at the Koraput district level to clear differences between MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria and some leaders.
Responding to Kulesika’s statement, Opposition chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said, “I have no habit to criticise anyone. Those who will do so will face the consequence. I have nothing to say.”
"Baig has been suspended with immediate effect for his anti-party activities," said state Congress General Secretary V.Y. Ghorpade in a statement here.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has approved Baig's suspension on the recommendation of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to take action against him on the basis of an enquiry into his activities.
Baig, a former Congress minister, is an eight-time legislator from the Shivajinagar Assembly segment in the city centre.
Baig has been in the news of late for wrong reasons, including his alleged involvement in the multi-crore Ponzi scheme, operated by IMA Jewels owner Mohammed Mansoor Khan, who fled the country on June 8.
In a purported video clip posted in the social media, Khan accused Baig of blackmailing him for asking to return about Rs 400 crore he claimed to have given the latter for contesting in the recent Lok Sabha elections from Bangalore Central seat though he did not get the ticket.
Upset by Baig's open criticism of the party's state leadership, KPCC on May 21 served notice to him, seeking explanation for his attack on AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah for the rout the party faced in the parliamentary elections.
Venugopal is also in-charge of the party's state unit affairs.
Commenting on the May 19 exit polls on May 20, that projected Congress performing poorly in the general elections, Baig lashed out at Venugopal, Siddaramaiah and party's state unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao.
"Venugopal is a buffoon. What he knows about the party in our state as he is from Kerala? Due to Siddaramaiah's arrogance, the party lost in the May 2018 Assembly elections and Rao's immaturity is responsible for the dismal state of affairs currently," Baig told reporters at his residence here.
Baig has been sulking against the party leadership since a year for being denied a cabinet post despite being the Muslim face of the party after the death of veteran party leader Jaffer Shariff in November last year.