As on earlier occasions, Congress MlAs reiterated their demand for appointing senior party leader and former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik as the next PCC chief before the AICC observers’ team on Sunday, the second day of its assessment of the party’s situation in Odisha.
Earlier in the day, the MlAs and party’s lone Rajya Sabha member from the State Ranjib Biswal met together at the official residence of leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra here and chalked out their strategy to put forth their demand jointly before the observers’ team.
“We met the observers’ team together and placed our demand to make Niranjan Patnaik the next PCC president,” Opposition Chief Whip in State Assembly Tara Prasad Bahinipati told reporters.
However, MP Biswal said, “We focussed on better coordination among party leaders. We apprised the observers of all what they sought to know from us. If they feel any need of a leadership reshuffle they may report it to the party high command.”Though the observers comprising MPs Gaurav Gogoi and Tamrdhwaj Sahu and former Union Minister Jitendra Singh wanted to meet the MlAs one after another, the legislators rejected the move and insisted on meeting the team together.
Earlier in the day, the team discussed party affairs with former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal, former PCC presidents Jayadev Jena and Sarat Pattanayak, Niranjan Patnaik, Jagannath Patnaik,a Sethy, Rasa Bihari Behera and others.
While some of them were in favour of a change of the PCC leadership, some others wanted only structural changes, sources said.
When asked, former Chief Minister Biswal said he has given a written list of suggestions in which he proposed for holding 10 meetings in 10 different zones in a month for strengthening the party in the State.
Former Minister Ras Bihari Behera said, “We want an experienced leader be appointed as PCC chief who can take youths, women, students and all others together for the party’s growth.”
Niranjan Patnaik said, “An individual can’t be held responsible for the party’s downfall. Rather all senior leaders should take moral responsibility for such an alarming situation. My only aim is to strengthen the party.”
On Saturday, the observers had sought views of District Congress Committee (DCC) chiefs and heads of all frontal wings of the PCC. Most of them had reportedly argued in favour of the incumbdent PCC president Prasad Harichandan.
The team would meet rest of the senior leaders during the first hour of Monday before moving back to New Delhi in the afternoon. The team is likely to submit its report to AICC president Sonia Gandhi in next four days’ time.