Congress dissolves its Odisha unit in poll debacle aftermath

Even as Congress improved its tally in the Assembly from just nine seats in 2019 to 14 seats in 2024, the party’s vote share reduced to just 13.26%, which was 16.3% five years ago.

Odisha Congress workers campaigning ahead of the simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls earlier this year. (Photo: INC Odisha/ X)

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Sunday announced the complete dissolution of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC).

The national president of the party, Mallikarjun Kharge, approved the proposal for the OPCC’s dissolution, including the removal of the state unit president and all other office bearers from top to bottom, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said in a statement. The OPCC executive committee, district/block/mandal Congress committees, frontal organisations, departments and cells will be dissolved with immediate effect, the statement said, adding that current DCC presidents will serve as acting presidents until new DCC presidents are appointed.

The AICC move came amid demands from a section of leaders within the Congress in Odisha for the resignation of OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak in light of the party’s poor performance in the recently-concluded Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

Even as Congress improved its tally in the Assembly from just nine seats in 2019 to 14 seats in 2024, the party’s vote share reduced to just 13.26%, which was 16.3% five years ago. In the Lok Sabha polls, the party managed to retain its lone Koraput seat, and its vote share reduced to 12.52% against 14% in 2019.

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Days after the results came, the OPCC president was doused with ink, allegedly by some “disgruntled” Congress members, at his chamber following which the Congress expelled five local workers.

Meanwhile, the AICC also appointed three-time MLA Rama Chandra Kadam, a tribal face, as the leader of the Congress legislature party (CLP) in the state Assembly. First-time MLA from Basudevpur, Ashok Das, was appointed CLP deputy leader. Also, two-time tribal legislator C S Raazen Ekka was appointed the party’s chief whip ahead of the Budget Session of the Odisha Assembly starting from Monday.

Sujit Bisoyi

Sujit Bisoyi is a Special Correspondent with the Indian Express and covers Odisha. His interests are in politics, policy and people’s stories. He tweets at @bisoyisujit87 ... Read More

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