Putting all speculations to rest, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan on Saturday announced his new team, which includes five political secretaries, a post created for the first time.
Seven months after taking charge, Harichandan prepared a 96-member PCC team comprising 10 vice-presidents, one treasurer, 25 general secretaries, five political secretaries and 55 secretaries. The new PCC team has 80 per cent new faces with 11 tribal members, 14 Dalit members and 12 from minority committee. A jubilant Prasad said the team has representation of all the districts of the State. While 44 leaders are representing western Odisha, 22 are from southern Odisha.
As Congress vice-president is giving importance on induction of youth brigade into the party, the newly formed team has 77 members, who are below 40 years old.
Even defectors from other parties like Bhimsen Choudhuy from BJP, Hamid Hussain from BJD and Bibhu Tarai from CPI have been made general secretaries.
The PCC chief has clearly taken great care to ensure that there is not much room left for disgruntlement by nominating everyone who is someone in the party to some post or the other.
Most Congress leaders have expressed happiness at the new team announced by Harichandan.
Notables among vice-presidents are Bijaylaxmi Sahu, Pradip Majhi Rabindra Kumar Sethi and Ranjib Biswal and among general secretaries are Bhimsen Choudhury, Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Debasis Patnaik, Giribala Behera, Dr Hamid Hussain, Jogesh Singh, Shyam Sundar Hansda and Sulochana Das.
Five persons who were named as political secretaries are Bikash Garabadu, Binapani Samal, Manoj Pradhan, Prakash Chandra Mishra and Rabindra Kumar Ray.
Sougat Mohanty, Priyadarshan Patnaik and Sudhansu Ray Mohapatra were named spokespersons of the party. Senior leader Mohammad Moquim is the new treasurer.