Whatever All-India Congress Committee (AICC) may decide as to who would lead the 16-member Congress legislature Party (ClP) to assume the role of the leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, an overwhelming number of MlAs are in favour of senior erudite leader and Balangir MlA Narasingha Mishra leading the team.
At an informal meeting held at Mishra’s residence, here on Saturday, the newly-elected members apparently made no bones about who they want to be their captain in the House.
Jeypore MlA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said there cannot be a better ClP leader than Mishra, who not only commands respect from all in the House but is also known for his expertise in legal and constitutional matters.
The meeting was also attended by Nabakishore Das, Chiranjib Biswal, Prafulla Majhi, Subal Sahu, Yogesh Singh and Prakash Behera.
Chranjib Biswal, whose name was in circulation for a while, dismissed the reports that he was trying to occupy the position with active help from PCC president Jayadev Jena.
“I was never in the race nor am I eyeing the post,” Biswal said.
The final decision, as always, would come from the Congress high command, sources said, adding AICC general secretary in-charge of Odisha BK Hariprasad or another observer would be sent to Bhubaneswar to finalise the name of the ClP leader very soon.
With as many as 14 MlAs openly rallying behind Mishra, it is unlikely that the party high command will take the risk of proposing any other name for the post.