No Question Of Leaving Congress: Ranjib Biswal

Bhubaneswar: Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha, Ranjib Biswal, on Wednesday refuted speculations that he was quitting the party.

“I am in Congress and will continue to stay in Congress,” he told reporters here.

Biswal’s absence from Rajya Sabha during the passage of the Triple Talaq Bill in the just concluded Parliament session had given rise to speculations that he may leave the party and join BJP.

Dismissing such contentions, Biswal said he was out of the country during the passage of the Bill and that he had taken the permission of the leader of Opposition in the House, Ghulam Nabi Azad for his travel.

“But I was present when Article 370 was taken up in the House. Therefore, there is no substance to such rumours,” he said.

Biswal also asserted on the continuation of Niranjan Patnaik as OPCC chief since his resignation has been not accepted by the Congress leadership till now. He said that Niranjan had the leadership capabilities to lead and rejuvenate the party. “If he continues as the party chief, there are chances of the party’s revival in the state,” he added.

He remained evasive to a question on whether he was in contention for the party chief’s post in the state.