Bhubaneswar: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee chief Prasad Harichandan would continue in the office with Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday making it clear that no state Congress chief will be changed.

The Congress leaders here have been demanding for the change in leadership and had met Rahul on the issue following the party's dismal performance in the last panchayat elections in February 2017.

Earlier, Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra and party MLAs had met Rahul in New Delhi at least twice seeking the removal of Harichandan. They had been arguing since November 2016 that under Harichandan's leadership, the party had been losing ground in Odisha.

Sources said the leadership would not disturb the incumbent president at this moment because of an imminent bypoll in the Bijepur Assembly constituency. "Any change of baton at the moment will disturb the party's prospective in the bypoll. The leadership may take a call on the issue only after the result is over," said a senior Congress leader. However, the leaders are still hopeful that the party would go to the general poll under a new leadership, who can at least bring some sort of confidence in the rank and file of the party.