The State lacks a strong opposition party to counter the long-ruling BJD Government, according to political observers.
As the present political scenario indicates a secret understanding between the BJD and the main opposition BJP, the State Congress badly needs rival to serve the purpose, they feel.
“It is a fact that people in nook and corner of the State know that the Congress had brought developments in all sectors. Though the party has remained out of power for the last 20 years, people know its presence in the State Assembly and outside for a few leaders, who are quite active in raising people’s issues. Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha Mishra and Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati are to name a few,” said a political analyst.
While the Pradesh Congress Committee and the District Congress Committees are not functional for over a year now, the need of making the grand old party well-organised under a strong leader is felt in the interest of the State and its people.
“The Naveen Patnaik Government has extended support to the Narendra Modi Government in all of its decisions taken during the last one year. From this, a common man understands that there is no ideological difference between the two Governments. Thus, the Congress needs to emerge as a strong opposition party,” said the analyst.
While many party leaders have met AICC chief Sonia Gandhi and party’s youth icon Rahul Gandhi many times over a change of the guard in Odisha, it has yielded no results yet.
“Incumbent PCC president Niranjan Patnaik can’t be perceived as a youth-inspiring leader now. So, an alternative leader should lead the Congress in the State. It would be better if a leaders like Tara Prasad Bahinipati or from among a few others, for whom people known the presence of the Congress now, should be picked up by the party high command to lead the party” opined another political commentator.