Bhubaneswar, July 17: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president (OPCC) Sarat Pattnayak had called a press conference at Congress Bhavan on Tuesday to corner the newly formed BJP government in the state on issues like Ratna Bhandar, Adap Pahandi mishap of Lord Balabhadra and attack on Governor's ASO. However, former OPCC presidents Niranjan Patnaik and Jaydev Jena skipped the press conference.
The OPCC president addressed media along with ex-president Prasad Harichandan in presence of party veteran Jagannath Patnaik and Ananta Sethi.
The absence of Niranjan and Jayadev has further proved that Odisha Congrress is a divided house. After skipping party press meet, Niranjan isuued a press release in the afternoon regarding opening of Ratna Bhandar in 1985 during Congress period.
With Rahul Gadhi's rising popularity in the country, Congress is going to stand as a strong opposition in the parliament. However, the Odisha Congress has failed to bring its veterans united to fight against BJP government in Odisha. The party won 14 Assembly seats in 2024 that was 9 in 2019. But the party is yet to decide who will be legislature party leader ahead of monsoon session of Odisha Assembly from July 22.
According to sources, an influential group of the party is lobbying Jeypore MLA and party's firebrand leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati to be the legislature party leader while another fraction is lobbying for Pottangi MLA Rama Chandra Kadam. Now the matter has reached before the party high command in New Delhi.
It is reported that Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka and Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati are involved in a cold war. While Saptagiri Ulaka and some MLAs are supporting OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak, party veterans Niranjan, Jayadev and Tara Prasad Bahinipati have been united against him.
