Bhubaneswar, Aug. 13: Congress MLAs of Odisha today told the party's central leadership in no uncertain terms that if the current scenario in the state party unit persisted, it would not be able to find candidates for all the 147 Assembly seats in the next general elections.
The MLAs, during their meeting with the three central observers and AICC general secretary in charge of Odisha affairs B.K. Hariprasad, came out openly in favour of veteran leader Niranjan Patnaik for replacing present PCC president Prasad Harichandan. They have squarely blamed Harichandan for "not taking up a single issue against the Naveen Patnaik government" and also "failing to carry the party" with him. This had resulted in local leaders deserting the party and people shying away from the Congress, said a source in the party.
The AICC team - consisting of former Union minister Jitendra Singh, Tamradhwaj Sahu and Gaurav Gogoi and Hariprasad - is in the city on a three-day visit for wide consultations with party leaders, grassroots level office-bearers, PCC leaders and workers to chalk out a strategy to rejuvenate the organisation. They will submit their report to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. The AICC had sent the team following pressure from the MLAs for a change of guard in the state. The team, so far, has met PCC office bearers, district Congress unit presidents, heads of frontal organisations and many former Assembly and Lok Sabha candidates.
The MLAs' meeting was preceded a high-voltage drama with the AICC team insisting that they must come individually and put forth their views. A condition which was not acceptable to 14 MLAs. The group insisted that they would meet him collectively and the team relented. Bijepur MLA Subala Sahu was ill, while Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra met the team alone. The MLAs had said that by attempting to meet them individually, the leadership is trying to break their unity.
The MLAs, during the discussion, said the party had failed to capitalise out of the failures of the Naveen Patnaik government. "We discussed the issue of money deposit collection scam, the mining scam, Mahanadi water issue and the dal scam. These issues had the potential to embarrass the government and connect with the people. We have failed in mobilising public opinion and have been giving the impression of a divided house. That's how we lost in the panchayat polls," said a senior MLA.
Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said: "We placed the resolution taken earlier at the legislature party meeting in which it was stated how the party needs a change of leadership. We specifically informed the observers to replace Harichandan with Patnaik."
Another MLA, Chiranjeeb Biswal, said: "We cited how there was a lack of co-ordination among party's various organisations. Discussions were held on how to rebuild the party."
However, OPCC leaders, most of the district presidents and frontal organisations, barring the students' Congress, have urged the leadership to continue with Harichandan. They have also urged action against people those are not following the party lines. The detractors of Patnaik, however, demanded that a leader with a clean image should be appointed to take on Naveen Patnaik.
Among others who met the AICC team were former chief minister Hemananda Biswal, former PCC presidents Jaydev Jena and Sarat Patnaik. All of them have reportedly emphasised the need for restructuring of the organisation.
Jaydev Jena said: "If I could become the PCC chief, why not Prasad and why not you? Whatever the high command decides, we will abide by it." Former chief minister Biswal said: "I have given a long draft (written proposal) on how to strengthen the party and how the party can take up various issues."