In yet another major setback to the State Congress, Pranay Sahu, who unsuccessfully contested the Bijepur by-poll as party candidate, resigned from the party on Monday.
Sahu tendered his resignation to OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik. However, it was yet to be ascertained as to which party he will join next.
In a letter to the OPCC president, Sahu stated, “I wish to tender my resignation from membership of the Congress and also all the post which I was serving in the party.”
He said, “It has been one year since the Bijepur by-polls concluded. I wanted the party to review what led to the defeat of the Congress in the by-elections was it the because of the candidate, the party or people’s opinion. But nothing was done in this regard which is one of the reasons of my discontentment.”
“Besides, I was not given any role in the party after the reorganisation of the Congress following the by-polls. Gradually, people are losing faith in the party due to the infighting,” added Sahu.
Sahu was the candidate from the party during the Bijepur by-polls in February last year against the BJD’s Rita Sahu and BJP’s Ashok Panigrahi. However, he came third with 10,274 votes and lost his deposit.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Aryakumar Jnanendra said such resignations won’t affect the party’s prospects in the State. “We are not concerned who is quitting or joining the party, as the party organisation is still strong.”