In an apparent bid to prove that water is not at all muddy for him in the party's State unit, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan has planned to parade all DCC presidents before AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi in phases.
Some of the party's 32 organisational districts' presidents on Monday left for New Delhi to meet Gandhi on Wednesday.
Khordha DCC president Suresh Routray, who was critical of former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik last week for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to ouster Harichandan, softened his stand on Monday.
"He (Niranjan Patnaik) is my elder brother, and our relationship is a strong one. He resolves many issues within the party," said Routray before leaving for New Delhi.
On being questioned about his Narad tag to Patnaik, Routray, who happens to be the father-in-law of Prasad Harichandan, said Narad always brings peace during wars.
However, the 16 Congress MlAs, who hail from 11 different districts --Koraput, Balangir, Kendrapada, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Cuttack, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur, Kandhamal and Nabarangpur -- would try that the DCC presidents from their areas do not join Prasad's army, sources said.
Some of the MlAs are also DCC presidents, so what would be their stand now is to be seen.
The Congress MlAs, who won elections in 2014 fighting against the Naveen and the Modi waves, feel insulted when the party high command refused to accept their demand for a change of the PCC leadership.
Though the MlAs would not openly ask the DCC presidents to refrain from joining Harichandan's camp, they have decided to ensure that the PCC president's bid to convince the high command in his favour fails.
Several senior Congress leaders had on Saturday met at the official residence of leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra to chalk out their strategy to counter Harichandan's move.