Odisha PCC gets new chief

Congress today appointed Prasad Harichandan as the new chief for the faction-ridden Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, replacing Jayadev Jena against whom dissidence had been brewing.
Harichandan, 47, is a former general secretary of Youth Congress, had been MLA thrice and served as a minister in the state.
"Sonia Gandhi has appointed Prasad Harichandan, a former minister of Odisha, as the President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect", a party release said.
Jena had become PCC chief only last year replacing Niranjan Patnaik. Soon after his annointment, dissent had begun brewing against him over ticket distribution, dismal performance of the party in last Lok Sabha and Odisha assembly elections.

Jena's detractors had got fresh ammunition with the Congress candidate losing deposit in Kandhamal Lok Sabha bye- elections recently.
The names, which had been doing the rounds for the new PCC Chief, were Niranjan Patnaik and senior leader Chiranjibi Biswal.

Harichandan is viewed by some in the party as close to Congress veteran and former chief minister Janaki Ballabh Patnaik whose tenure as Governor of Assam ended on December 11. J B Patnaik was Chief Minister of the state between 1995-1999.
An AICC functionary, however, said that by appointing Harichandan, the party has tried to create a new leadership in the state and come out of the shadow of old guards like J B Patnaik and Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal.

A fortnight back, over a dozen state leaders had visited Delhi and met party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and other central leaders.
Some senior Congress leaders had also met at the 'Bandhu Milan' organized by Biswal some time back where the PCC leadership change issue had figured prominently.