Odisha Congress President resigns after poll debacle

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Niranjan Patnaik resigned on Friday after taking responsibility for the debacle in the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

Patnaik said that he has already sent his resignation to All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress managed to get one Lok Sabha and nine Assembly seats. It even lost the status of being the main opposition party in the state as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged the second largest party relegating the Congress to the third position.

The PCC President himself lost the Assembly constituencies of Bhandaripokhari and Ghasipura.

In 2014, the Congress won 16 Assembly seats while it drew a blank in the Lok Sabha.

"Rahulji had given me the responsibility in consultation with the Congressmen of Odisha. I have tried sincerely to strengthen the Congress organisation in the state. Despite the efforts, we couldn't win people's confidence for which Congress has suffered this debacle in Odisha," Patnaik told the media.

"On moral grounds, I have tendered my resignation from this post of PCC President to our AICC President."

Niranjan was appointed as the PCC president in April 2018.

--IANS

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