Soumya Patnaik and LV Mohapatra

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 13: The political atmosphere and factionalism in the state Congress has heated up with a section of leaders coming out in support of former MP Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, against whom the party has served a disciplinary notice.

Soumya, who happens to be the brother of former Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik, said he had not violated any party rule. “Let the notice come, I will give my reply,” Soumya said.

He said he had not floated any parallel organisation. “I was just trying to encourage the party workers and actively involve them in the party activities. All my moves are aimed to strengthen the party. It is the BJD leaders, who should be worried about my activities. I don’t know why the Congress leaders are so much worried about it.”

On the other hand, senior Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra questioned the disciplinary committee’s decision to send a notice to a senior leader such as Soumya. “Members of the Pradesh Congress Committee are not competent enough to send a notice to Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, who is an All India Congress Committee member.”

On the other hand, member of the disciplinary committee Sarat Rout said: “Lulu Babu may be ignorant. He does not know how a notice is sent to a member.”

Mohapatra reacted saying: “I don’t’ know when he became Kalidash, the great scholar. I don’t know when he became the advisor of the party and who has authorised him to do so. All these things should be answered.”

The disciplinary committee head and former minister Harihar Karan said the former MP’s actions had sent a wrong message to the people portraying the Congress as a divided house in the state.

The committee raised questions on Soumya’s role, especially in making an attempt to run a parallel organisation, poking fun at the Gandhi family and sending out a message that the Congress in Odisha was not united.

Sources said Soumya had decided to go ahead with his Sankalpa Yatra. The yatra will be organised tomorrow at Bhadrak and later on in Nayagarh, Balasore and Rourkela.

Senior Congress leader Umesh Swain said: “The way Pradesh Congress Committee president Jaydev Jena is taking the organisation will certainly bring a disaster. One starts behaving like this when he is close to a disaster.”

A senior leader, considered close to the Pradesh Congress Committee chief, said: “The disciplinary committee is competent enough to ask any question to its members. It will send its report and recommendation on the issue shortly. The All India Congress Committee will take a final call on the issue.”