The dissidents’ move for a change in the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) leadership further intensified on Tuesday as the rebels announced that they would again visit New Delhi after July 20 to meet the party high command to press for their demand.
The campaign to oust Prasad Harichndan as the PCC chief is spearheaded by the Congress legislature Party (ClP) with all 16 MlAs united over a change in the State party leadership at the earliest.
The decision to meet AICC leaders, particularly vice-president Rahul Gandhi, was taken at a latest meeting at the residence of leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra on Tuesday.
According to Tara Prasad Bahinipati, who is the Congress Chief Whip in the State Assembly, the rebels want for PCC president Niranjan Patnaik to be back in vanguard as replacement of Harichandan.
Bahinipati said what his MlA colleague Jogesh Singh had a couple of days ago said about the dissidents’ choice as PCC chief is the view of all MlAs. Singh had openly stated that they all want Patnaik to head the PCC.