Bhubaneswar: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee's (OPCC) newly appointed manifesto committee chairman Srikant Jena's letter to the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) members on who should be the chief minister if the party is voted to power has created ripples in the new dispensation.

Sources revealed that if the suggestion made by Jena was accepted by the AICC, it would dash the hopes of OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik's of becoming the chief minister. Niranjan will lead the party in 2019 elections.

Sources close to Patnaik revealed that the former Union minister in his letter titled "Preamble of Congress Manifesto for 2019 Elections in Odisha", hammered on three points - political representation, economic justice and social justice. The letter was also circulated to the members of AICC and OPCC. Jena sought the views of the leadership.

In his letter, Jena opined that "the Congress, if voted to power, will select a chief minister and two deputy chief ministers, from among OBC/SEBC (54%), SC(16%) and ST (22.5%) candidates. This will enable extend representation to for all sections of the society since these communities are collectively 92% of Odisha's population and ensure the rule of Bahujan".

He also raised the mining issue and wanted that Congress should take the lead from the stranglehold of mining mafia and ensure that the mineral wealth of Odisha is used for the welfare of the people. "Illegal mine operators have looted Odisha's mineral wealth over the years (as per the Shah Commission report in 2022 this was in the excess of Rs 2 lakh crore). In addition, to cancelling all mining leases and transferring them to the state government, the Congress government will confiscate the properties of all illegal mine owners and transfer the assets to a People's Welfare Fund which will invest in education, health and infrastructure," the letter said.

Interestingly, the family members of Patnaik are in mining business.

Jena also brought back the issue of Mandal Commission. Under social justice, the letter said: "The Congress will implement within 30 days of coming to office, the recommendations of the Mandal Commission for OBC/SEBC in employment and education."

He also suggested that the reservation for SC and ST in technical and medical education should be increased to 38.5 per cent as mandated by the constitution. "This will correct the wilful neglect of these communities by successive state governments who opposed the Mandal Commission report and left Odisha economically crippled as the poorest state in the country (As per Raghuram Rajan's report in 2013)."

It also promises to address the issues of agriculture, prohibition, employment, health and education for all-round development of Odisha.

However, Jena could not be contacted for his comments.