Congress To Launch Membership Drive In Odisha In March

Bhubaneswar: In orders to strengthen party organisation, the Congress will launch a membership drive at grassroots level in Odisha from March.

Stating this at a press meet, here, on Saturday, OPCC vice-president Jagneswar Babu said two members will be appointed at booth level across the state to mobilise membership for the party. They will be tasked to enrol more than 100 members under each booth.

Stating that organisational election of the party has already been initiated, Babu said former MP Madhusudan Mistry has been appointed as chairman of central election committee and Rajya Sabha member Niraj Dangi as the returning officer of Odisha.

He further said Dangi, in consultation with OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, will appoint returning officers at block and district levels in first week of March.

Though the party had decided to launch membership drive through digital medium, it has opted for both digital and offline modes due to lack of internet access in remote areas of the state, Babu said.

On the prospects of panchayat elections in the state, he said there is a mass resentment against both BJD and BJP for their misrule in Odisha and at the Centre. The Congress will emerge as third alternative for the voters in the election, he asserted.