Odisha Unit Of Congress Dissolved In Poll Loss Aftermath; Rama Kadam Appointed CLP Leader

Bhubaneswar: The AICC on Sunday dissolved the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) with the state president and all office bearers getting axed after the party’s ‘not so impressive performance’ during the recent elections. 

“The Congress President has approved the proposal of the complete dissolution of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, including PCC president and its executive committee,” AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal informed.

The letter added that the current District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents will function as acting presidents till new district presidents are appointed.

In another office order, the AICC informed that Pottangi MLA Rama Chandra Kadam has been appointed as Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and Basudevpur MLA Ashok Das as his deputy in the Odisha assembly. Rajgangpur legislator C S Raazen Ekka has been appointed as the chief whip. 

Though Congress’ mission of ‘nine to 90’ failed miserably in the state under PPC president Sarat Pattanayak, it saved itself from complete decimation by winning 14 Assembly seats and holding on to the lone Lok Sabha seat in Koraput in the 2024 twin elections. The vote share of the party, however, dropped from 16.12 per cent in 2019 when it had won 9 Assembly seats to 13.32 per cent in this election.

After the debacle in 2019 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the then interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi had also dissolved OPCC and all state committees but retained the president and working presidents.