Ahead of Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister Janaki Ballav Patnaik’s return to Odisha after the end of his term as Assam Governor, speculations are rife over change of leadership in the State Congress.
This rumour was reflected in the moods and speeches of senior Congress leaders who attended a Bandhu Milan (get-together) at the Rashtrabhasa Prachar Samiti ground here to celebrate the birthday celebration of All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi.
The absence of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Jayadev Jena, an ardent fan of the party supremo, at the get-together meeting further fuelled the speculations doing the rounds during last few days in the political circles here.
Former Chief Minister Hemanand Biswal convened the get-together of senior-most party leaders along with promising new generation leaders to revive the spirit of party workers in the State.
Attending the meeting, most of the leaders hinted about a change of State party leadership and emphasised on party unity. Some of the leaders said the Congress’ working style should be changed in order to keep the party’s traditional vote bank intact.
leaders like former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik, former Union Ministers Chandra Sekhar Sahu and Kahnu Charan lenka, MlA Prafulla Majhi, Duryodhan Majhi, Mahila Congress State president Bijaylaxmi Sahoo, Sitakanta Mohapatra, Sriballav Panigrahy, Gurupada Nanda and Prakash Chandra Debata were present at the meeting. “We have to say goodbye to personal ego in order to bring unity in the party. We have to strengthen our party to make it alive,” said Biswal.
On JB Patnaiki’s return, he said, “We should feel the importance of each and every leader to make the party united and strong which has been lacking for some days.” While Jayadev Jena has not reacted to this development, another senior party leader, Sarat Rout, decried it, stating that those who were responsible for party candidates’ defeat in the last general elections held this get-together.