Bhubaneswar, Oct. 9: Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan today exuded confidence that his party would win the Bijepur Assembly seat.

A four-member Congress committee, headed by Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kishore Das, is studying the ground realities at Bijepur and will select party nominee for the seat, caused due to the death of Congress MLA Subal Sahu. Harichandan sounded confident about winning the seat despite desertions from the party with the widow of late MLA joining the BJD. 'The Congress has been winning this Assembly seat consecutively thrice since 2004. We will surely retain the seat this time,' he told reporters.

Sahu had been representing the Assembly seat since 2004 till his death in August. His widow, Rita Sahu, has been declared as the BJD nominee.

When it was pointed out that the Congress was lagging behind the BJD and the BJP in selecting its candidate. Harichandan said: 'The bypoll schedule has not yet been notified. Besides, the Congress attaches importance to the organisation and not to any individual.'

Asked about the pending revamp of the party's state unit, he said: 'The party's organisational poll is under way. After the process is over (this month), the state unit will be reorganised.'

A powerful section of the party, including its MLAs, has been demanding change in the PCC leadership. They had met party vice-president Rahul Gandhi several times in this regard. On the other hand, the pro-Harichandan camp had opposed the demand and said that if the state leadership had to be changed, the change should be effected at both the legislative and organisational wings.

Rahul had discussed the issue with senior party leaders and deputed a three-member team of observers to the state, which had submitted a report to the high command after the visit to the state.

Last month, there were indications that the leadership change would take place shortly.

But, it was deferred on the plea that the organisational elections were yet to be over. Three senior leaders - Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra, former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik, who is in the race and former PCC vice-president Ananta Prasad Sethi have been in New Delhi since yesterday, fuelling speculations about the imminent change in the PCC leadership.

On the Mahanadi issue, Harichandan said the Congress had been demanding constitution of a river water dispute tribunal since inception. 'The BJD is just playing politics and seems to be not serious about protecting Odisha's interest. If it is really serious, the state government should present Odisha's case emphatically before the tribunal and ensure that the terms of reference of the tribunal protect the state's interest.'