Odisha Congress Rejig: Jitendra Singh Quells Anti-Niranjan Voices

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Congress in-charge Jitendra Singh on Sunday quelled the voices of dissent against state party president Niranjan Patnaik by clarifying that a change in leadership was unlikely.

“Niranjan will continue as Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) chief and disciplinary actions will be taken against members acting against party principles in public,” Singh told mediapersons in New Delhi.

Ahead of the restructuring of the faction-ridden OPCC, a fresh spell of dissensions started brewing with a host of leaders demanding a change of the guard in the state unit, recently.

The call for the ouster of Niranjan and elevation of Cuttack-Barabati MLA Mohammed Moquim grew shriller when party leaders after a closed-door meeting on November 3, said that they will put across the demand to AICC president Sonia Gandhi.

On Sunday morning, supporters of OPCC chief had held a meeting at a hotel here. “The meeting was neither in support nor against anybody. We assembled here to discuss strategies to strengthen our party,” said senior Congress leader Manas Choudhury.