Dissent grows in Odisha Congress unit as JB prepares to return to state

Leaders gather at unofficial party event to discuss replacement current Pradesh Congress Committee head, Jayadev Jena

A group of state Congress leaders today gathered at an unofficial party event here to discuss further strategies to repalce current Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) head, Jayadev Jena, ahead of the return of party stalwart Janaki Ballabh Patnaik, whose tenure as Governor of Assam ends on December 11.

The leaders, mostly former PCC heads and ministers, said, time has come to find an unanimous leader to head the party in Odisha.

“We need to work together. We need a leadership that is acceptable to all,” said Hemananda Biswal, former chief minister at the event organised to celebrate Sonia Gandhi’s birth anniversary.

Many former cabinet ministers in the 1995-1999 regime of J B Patnaik were also present today at the ‘get together’. Though there is little possibility of Patnaik returning to the helm of party affairs in the state, considering his age and negative disposition of the Gandhi family towards him, he may be the rallying point for veteran Congress leaders, sidelined by the present PCC chief, to assert their positions in the party and seek replacement of Jena.

“There is a feeling among the members that entire structure of the party from top to bottom must go for a complete revamp. Sonia Gandhi must look into it, otherwise the party can not survive in the state,” said Kanhu Charan Lenka, former Railway minister.

Dissent against Jena erupted last year immediately after he became PCC chief replacing Niranjan Patnaik as he had remarked that his predecessor was appointed on the suggestion of Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Niranjan’s brother Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, a media baron and son-in-law of J B Patnaik, criticised Jena over his statements and was later ousted from the party.

The other leaders continued to oppose Jena over ticket distribution, dismal performance of the party in the last Lok Sabha and Odisha assembly elections. The dissatisfaction soon reached new heights after the Congress candidate lost deposits in Kandhamal Lok Sabha by elections recently.

PCC chief, Jena was not available for comments on today's development.

“It was a not a party event and many leaders who were engaged in anti-party activities during the last general election were present at the 'get together'. Their demand to replace Jena is improper,” said Sarat Rout, spokesperson for the Odisha Congress.