Are You Interested For OPCC Chief Post, Rahul Gandhi Asks Suresh Routray; Know Odisha MLA’s Reply

Bhubaneswar: With several names for next OPCC president post doing rounds, senior leader and Jatni MLA Suresh Routray on Wednesday said he has made it clear to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi during meeting that he was not aspiring for the post.

Speaking to media persons, Routray said during the 10-minute meeting in New Delhi on Monday, Gandhi asked him whether he was interested to be OPCC president. Replying in negative, the MLA said he was a sincere and loyal worker of the party but was not in the race for OPCC president or CLP leader post.

“The OPCC president post carries a huge responsibility. One has to look after the party organisation in the entire state. I find it difficult to manage the party affairs in Jatni and Bhubaneswar. How can I take the responsibility of the state,” Routray said.

He made it clear to Gandhi that he along with five young leaders would fully support whoever is selected by him as OPCC president. All the party leaders should also support him.

On the name of former OPCC president Sarat Patnaik making the rounds for the post, Routray said as far as he knew Gandhi has not zeroed in on any leader. But considering that Narasingha Mishra was the senior most leader of the party, his opinion should be considering before taking any decision in this regard, he added.

When asked whose name he has suggested for the post, Routray said he has not made any such recommendation but told Gandhi that the person should be honest, educated and above corruption.

On the possible date when the name of new OPCC president to be declared, the MLA said he has requested Gandhi to take a decision in this regard soon as the party organisation is deteriorating fast. Most probably, the new president would be announced after Congress ‘Chintan Mela’ at Jeypore in Koraput district, he added.

Meanwhile, party sources said former OPCC president Sarat Patnaik is likely to be appointed as the next president of the party in Odisha. Though the name of former Union minister Bhakta Charan Das was also in contention for the post, the party did not want to shift him from his present responsibility as in-charge of Bihar and Odisha.

However, leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingha Mishra is reportedly opposed to the appointment of Patnaik as the OPCC president though two other MLAs from western Odisha, Santosh Singh Saluja from Kantabanji and Adhiraj Panigrahi from Khariar are in his favour.

The sources further said four Congress MLAs may be appointed as working presidents in four regions of the state. The post of CLP leader is likely to go either to Routray or Saluja.