Bhubaneswar, Dec. 6: Odisha general secretary of the All India Congress Committee B.K. Hariprasad today faced party workers’ questions regarding the state of affairs of the Pradesh Congress and the high command’s reported failure to boost its image.
A party worker said that when they were having a pitched battle with the Naveen Patnaik government, central leaders coming from New Delhi continued to meet Naveen and left the state heaping praises on him — which boomeranged the party’s prospect.
Hariprasad met the district presidents, vice-presidents, secretaries and the Pradesh Congress Committee members to find out the reasons for the party’s dismal performance in the recently concluded urban polls.
He, however, said efforts would be taken to strengthen the Congress at the grassroots level. Some leaders also raised the issue of how a section of state leaders equated the party to a sinking boat saying that it had no future.
Another leader said the party had to pay a price for factionalism. They also pointed out that the party should not resort to coercive tactics to bring the party to order.
Hariprasad said: “Discipline in the party has to be maintained. This has been clear-cut direction from the party high command in this regard. No one is above the party. The party has a rich history. People will join and leave the party, but it does not have any impact on the Congress.”
He indicated that expelled leader Soumya Ranjan Patnaik’s meeting at various levels would not make any impact on the party’s prospect.
Hariprasad said he had talked to Union minister Shashi Tharoor about his reported meeting with Naveen and praising the state government’s move. “Even Tharoor is not above the party,” he said.
In the meeting, it was decided that the Congress would hold four big meetings at four places in the state. The block-level presidents will be asked to submit reports of the party’s status within seven days. “If any of them fails, action will be taken. Steps would be taken to appoint a new block president,” said a leader.
