Bhubaneswar: The Congress, which has set 9 to 90 target for the upcoming 2024 Assembly elections, is staring at a bleak prospect with exodus of senior leaders to other parties.
The question plaguing the grand old party now is whether it will be able to retain the nine seats it had won in 2019 elections amid its struggle to remain politically relevant in the state after being out of power since 2000. It has so far named only 49 MLA and 8 MP candidates.
According to sources, the Congress had earlier planned to rope in rebels from both BJD and BJP amid speculation that the ruling party and the main opposition may strike an alliance in Odisha ahead of the elections. The failure of the talks, however, led to pre-poll musical chairs in near-absurd proportions with Congress trailing in the race.
The Congress has lost almost a dozen leaders to either BJD or BJP in the recent past with former minister Ganeswar Behera being to latest to switch sides. Earlier, senior leader from Jagatsinghpur district and former state Congress working president Chiranjib Biswal, former minister Surendra Singh Bhoi, sitting Khariar MLA Adhiran Panigrahi, former legislators, K Surya Rao, Naren Pallai and Ansuman Mohanty, too had joined the BJD.
Also Read: BJD Inducts Another Ex-Congress Leader & ‘Ticket Aspirant’ Ahead Of Odisha Elections
Congress leader from Paradip Bapi Sarkhel also quit the party days after his wife Monideepa joined the BJD while son of six-time Congress MLA Suresh Routray, Manmath, is the BJD MP candidate from Bhubaneswar. The regional party has also fielded Bhoi and Mohanty from Balangir and Kendrapada Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively, and Panigrahi from Khariar assembly seat.
Speculation is also rife that two more sitting MLAs, who have earned renominations, are also keen to blow couch in the upcoming elections.
The BJP, on the other hand, has inducted former Congress minister Nabin Chandra Narayan Das and former MLA Nihar Ranjan Mohananda, who has been rewarded with a ticket for Attabira assembly seat.
The Congress had hoped to revive the party after Ajoy Kumar took charge as Odisha in-charge and reinstated three previously suspended and expelled Congress leaders – Barabati-Cuttack Mohammed Moquim, Biswal and former Kopraput MLA Krushan Chandra Sagaria. The party also opened doors for some old guards – former Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang, along with his wife and son, former Bargarh MP Sanjay Bhoi and former Koraput MP Jayaram Pangi.
The Congress, however, did not nominate anyone from the Gamang family, leading to resenment. While Gamang’s son Shisir was an aspirant for Nabarangpur Lok Sabha seat, Hema had applied for Gunupur assembly constituency under Koraput Lok Sabha seat. Shocked over denial of tickets, Shisir claimed that it was a conspiracy to defeat the party in the ensuing elections in the state. He further alleged that several such Congress leaders, including Amita Biswal, the daughter of former chief minister Hemananda Biswal, have also been ignored by the party.
The Congress candidates are also facing opposition within the party in Rourkela and Bissam Cuttack, the sources added.
