Work With Villagers, Get Ticket: OPCC Chief Tells Partymen

Bhubaneswar: With an aim to salvage the sagging image of the state Congress, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik on Wednesday made it clear that those who will work with the people in rural areas will be given tickets to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Talking to mediapersons after presiding over the first meeting of the 10 newly elected District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents and working presidents at Congress Bhawan here, he said OPCC will appoint presidents for each Zilla Parishad Zone. The DCC will submit the report about the organisational activity of the party to the zone president twice a month. “From the report, it will be known in 3-4 months as to who is working at the grassroots and accordingly the party will select the candidate for the forthcoming elections,” he informed.

OPCC working president Pradip Majhi said the disagreement among the party workers and leaders on the selection of DCC presidents and working presidents in 3-4 districts of which the problem in Koraput district would be sorted out on Thursday.

Of the 33 organisational districts, no appointment has been made for working presidents in five districts while the remaining 28 districts have got 54 working presidents, he said.

“Besides, the party has decided to consider according Block status to all Zilla Parishad Zones by the end of June and appoint president for each Block,” Majhi added.