New Delhi, Dec 14: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das on Saturday strongly reacted to a letter written by former Cuttack MLA Mohammed Moquim to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, questioning his leadership. Das remarked that those who are aligned with the BJP should leave the Congress and join the BJP instead.

Responding to Moquim’s letter, which has exposed signs of internal dissent within the party, Das said, “Those who are associated with the BJP should just go to the BJP,” dismissing the allegations levelled against him.

Das is in New Delhi to attend a Congress rally being organised at Ramlila Maidan against Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.

In his letter, Moquim had criticised Das’ appointment as OPCC chief earlier this year, noting that Das had lost three consecutive elections and had earlier been associated with what he described as a political ideology historically opposed to the Congress. Moquim argued that such a background had weakened the party’s leadership in the state.

The former Barabati-Cuttack MLA also raised objections to the OPCC president’s public support, along with that of his MLA son Sagar Das, for a separate ‘Kosal state’. He claimed the stand had caused deep unrest among party workers across Odisha.

Additionally, Moquim cited the Congress’ heavy defeat in the Nuapada Assembly bypoll, which falls under Das’ parliamentary constituency, as evidence of declining public confidence. He wrote that a leader who fails to earn trust in his own constituency cannot effectively guide the party in Odisha.