The Congress Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 9: The Congress high command today postponed the election for the post of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president for an indefinite period. No reason has been cited yet for the postponement.

Earlier, it was decided that the election for the post of president of the PCC would be held on September 17 and filing of nomination papers on September 12.

Reacting to the development, Congress activists today openly expressed their resentment at the Congress Bhavan.

“The way the party is functioning has only exposed the infighting. The All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) decision will only send a wrong message to the rank and file of the party across the state. If this continues, the Congress’ dream of challenging the BJD government will remain just a dream,” said a party insider.

Santosh Bargodia, Pradesh Congress returning officer for Orissa, did not respond to any phone calls.

PCC general secretary Samir Routray said the election date has been shifted as Nuakhai, one Orissa’s main festivals, coincided with it.

“Besides Nuakhai, the Ganesh festival and Id-ul-Fitr also fall ahead of the election date. The AICC has, perhaps, deferred the election as everyone is in a festive mood. Similarly, the AICC’s eastern regional conference is also going to be held in Calcutta on September 25 and everyone will remain busy to prepare for it. The election may be held after September 25,” Routray said.

Sources in the Congress said that the AICC decided to shift the election to check the intense infighting and lobbying that continued within the party over the post of the PCC president.

After the incumbent president, K.P. Singh Deo, said that he would not be filing the nomination papers, many leaders have expressed the desire to occupy the top slot. Some of them, sources said, have even demanded secret ballots for selecting their new leader, a proposition not accepted by many party veterans.

“The AICC is trying to assess the ground reality before taking a final call on the issue. It is trying to reach a consensus on declaring a name so as to ensure that the party works in unity,” said a senior leader of the party. The last election for the post of the president of the PCC was held in the early 1980s when Nityananda Mishra was elected as PCC president.

This time, the main contenders for the plum post are former minister Niranjan Patnaik, working presidents Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra and Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Kalahandi MP Bhakta Charan Das, AICC member Jaydev Jena and former PCC president Sarat Patnaik. Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan’s candidature also cannot be ruled out at this moment.

While Mohapatra, Das and Sahu acted as working presidents of the state unit before the organisational polls, Jena headed the PCC during 2000-04.