Bhubaneswar: The fate of embattled Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Prasad Harichandan continues to hang in the balance despite claims by his supporters that the central party leadership has backed him.

"We are waiting for the return of AICC president Rahul Gandhi from Karnataka following which he is likely to take a decision on change in Odisha. There are signs of the party's revival across the country following BJP's poor showing in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The party leadership will be trying to cash in on the anti-BJP mood in the country," said a senior Congress leader.

Rahul is currently on a tour in poll-bound Karnataka.

Last week, Prasad's father-in-law and senior Congress leader Suresh Routray had claimed that Harichandan was going to reconstitute the PCC working committee and people from all sections of the society will get representation in it.

He had indicated that Prasad was going to appoint five vice-presidents, 10 general secretaries and 20 secretaries with the approval of the AICC.

The central leadership is worried with the way the party got a thrashing in the Bijepur bypoll. Though Bijepur was the Congress' citadel for the past 18 years, its candidate could not even manage 10,000 votes and lost his deposit.

A senior leader owing allegiance to Prasad said: "The party has already been ruined. Rahul ji is aware of it."

Several leaders have also deserted the party in the past two years. What has made matters worse is that despite getting the backing of the AICC in the past three years, Prasad has been unable to unite the party.

The party MLAs are unhappy and have even gone public saying that the party would not be able to win elections under the leadership of Prasad Harichandan. Congress MLA Jogesh Singh had said openly that the party would only suffer more defeats under the leadership of Prasad.

"Instead of making efforts to take the Congress Legislature Party into confidence, he has been trying to divide it. This has not been appreciated by the leadership," said a senior leader.

Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra and Prasad Harichandan have been at loggerheads for the past one-and-half years since Mishra had called an all-party meeting on Mahanadi water dispute. Harichandan did not back the move and their relationship has since been deteriorating.

Harichandan could not be contacted for his comments despite several attempts made by this newspaper.