Bhubaneswar: The AICC plans to experiment with the collective responsibility formula to run the party efficiently in the state.

The plan, sources said, was to appoint three working presidents in the state Congress to ensure peace between the warring factions - especially Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Prasad Harichandan and the Congress legislature party (CLP).

Sources said the AICC had approved the plan and efforts were on to persuade former PCC chief Niranjan Patnaik to accept new changes in the party structure. Though the AICC had offered him to lead the PCC election campaign committee, he reportedly declined it.

The high command plans to appoint CLP deputy leader Chiranjeev Biswal, MLA Naba Kishore Das and former MP from Nabarangpur Pradeep Majhi as working presidents for the central, western and southern zones of the state party, respectively.

They will work along with Harichandan on the principle of collective responsibility.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Majhi had hinted that such a plan was in the offing.

Efforts are on to persuade Patanik to accept the arrangement. Though he is keen to become the PCC president, his detractors have managed to convince the leadership that he should not lead the party because of his family's interest in the mining sector.

With Patnaik declining to lead the campaign committee, the party plans to appoint former Union minister Bhakta Charan Das to the post. However, Das said: "I am not aware of any such thing."