Odisha Congress Likely To Gets Its Chief By Diwali As AICC Deputes 2 Central Observers

Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader Mohammad Moqium on Friday said that the party is likely to appoint president of its Odisha unit by Diwali.

This comes a day after Congress general secretary K C Venugopal directed senior party leader Charan Das Mahant to submit a detailed report on the leadership and organisational affairs of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC). “Kindly proceed at the earliest and coordinate with the other member, Meenakshi Natarajan,” said the letter shared by Mahant on social media platform X on Thursday.

Speaking to the media, Moqium said that two senior members of AICC are expected to visit the state for formal talks. “I hope one who works at the grassroot level and can unite the party will be made OPCC chief. Two central observers have been appointed for the purpose. Party high command will take a decision very soon. Picture will be clear by Diwali,” he said.

He also denied any delay in appointment of the party chief. “No other party has started any process while Congress has already prepared a roadmap, dissolved the OPCC after the polls, and the entire process would be completed within three months,” he said.

On July 21, the AICC dissolved the party’s Odisha unit and dismissed all state office-bearers, including the state president Sarat Pattanayak, following its dismal performance in 2024 twin polls in the state. Apart from this, all the district, block and divisional committees of the party in Odisha were also dissolved.

“As two years are still left for the panchayat elections, the new president will get adequate time to prepare for it,” he said.

The former Barabati-Cuttack MLA further stated that there has been a change in government in Odisha and Congress is in a good position to fill the current vacuum in the state politics with the BJD already struggling with infighting. “Not only BJD, the leaders from BJP, who are not certain about their political future, are keen to join the Congress. When the PCC is constituted, you will see that many MLA and MP candidates who got defeated by a small margin will be with us,” he added.

Echoing the sentiments, former OPCC president Jayadev Jena said the central observers will seek feedback from Congress members here. “These two senior leaders are unlikely to get influenced by any lobby. I am hopeful about early appointment of the party chief, who will then form his team and get back to work,” he added.