Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Tuesday decided to strengthen its base in all the 36,000 booths across the state ahead of the general election. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the OPCC on Tuesday.
Addressing a meeting of former office-bearers of the OPCC, party state chief Niranjan Patnaik said: "The only aim of the party is to do well in the coming election. As a part of its preparation for the election process, steps would be taken to form committees at the booth and zone level to strengthen the party's base."
He said: "To create public opinion against the BJD and BJP's anti-people stance, it is time for the Congress workers to move to the grassroots and make people aware of various development projects initiated by the UPA regime."
Maintaining that any kind of indiscipline within the party will not be tolerated, he said: "All should join hands to take Congress forward."
AICC joint secretary Aditya Sharma also sought the co-operation of all the former office bearers. "All your experience and advice are required to strengthen the party. All should solidly back the party and its programmes," said Sharma.
The party also appealed to its workers to provide financial help to Muktikanta Biswal, who walked up to the national capital to remind Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his promises in 2014 on gifting a superspecialty hospital and a second bridge over Brahmani river to the people of Rourkela.
On the midway, he had fallen sick. Earlier, AICC president Rahul Gandhi had also targeted the Prime Minister on the issue.
The party has also decided that it would give tickets to those people who are active in field-level politics rather than spending their time in Bhubaneswar. To revamp the organisation, the party has already changed the district presidents in as many as 22 out of its 33 organisational districts. It has also appointed more than 54 working presidents to co-ordinate with the district presidents.
Bikers killed
Two bikers were killed on Tuesday afternoon when a speeding van hit their bike near Tangarasahi village on ThakurmundaKaranjia road in Mayurbhanj district. The deceased persons are yet to be identified. The mishap has sparked tension with irate people blocking the highway.
