Congress looking for a new leader in Odisha

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, June 23: Opposition Congress is looking for a new leader to strengthen the party organisation in Odisha and make the party ready for elections in the future.The party has been out of power in Odisha since March 2000. This has become clear after the All-India Congress Committee (AICC)’s Committee headed by A.K.Antony heard the views and suggestions of a large number of senior Congress leaders from Odisha in New Delhi on Sunday.Among other things, the Antony Committee interviewed senior members of Odisha Congress including AICC secretary in-charge of Odisha Subhankar Sarkar, former Union Minister Srikant Jena, former OPCC presidents Niranjan Patnaik and Sarat Patnaik, former chief minister Giridhar Gamang, senior leaders Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra, Sushila Tiria, former MP Pradip Majhi, and State Women’s Congress president Bijaylaxmi Sahu.A number of leaders have reportedly demanded a complete overhauling of party organisation in Odisha by removing Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Jayadev Jena from the post.Some of the leaders have also said that Srikant Jena should be kept away from party’s organisational work as he enjoys little support among the Congress workers in the State.The process for selection of a new leader to head to OPCC has thus started and the party was likely to appoint a new leader replacing Jayadev Jena in the near future, sources added.