Violation Of One-Family One-Ticket Rule Cost Cong Dear: Tara Bahinipati

Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati on Tuesday said that the violation of one-family one-ticket cost the Congress dear in the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Odisha.

Talking about the performance of his party, Tara said the Congress had no manpower and money power to contest the polls. “Apart from this, we did not put up our efforts seriously and kept our fingers crossed, which cost the party dearly and left us with a red face,” he observed.

The Congress leader also attributed the strategy of the BJD to the weakening of the Congress. “The BJD president weakened the Congress by taking our senior leaders to his side, though barring Naba Das, the remaining Congress leaders who had joined BJD have lost the polls,” Bahinipati said.

Speaking about the role of the Congress in the State Assembly, he said though BJP has the status as the main opposition, Congress will play a decisive role. Alone with me, eight leaders of our party have won the elections. We will make it hard for the BJD to run the house proceedings,” he pointed out.

Bahinipati also informed that Narasingha Mishra will be the leader of the Congress legislature party.