OPCC president appointment delayed further due to cyclonic storm Dana and election commitments
OdishaPlus Bureau
The appointment of the president for the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) is expected to face further delays due to the postponement of a two-member observer team’s visit, which has been affected by cyclonic storm Dana. This team, consisting of Charan Das Mahant, the leader of the Chhattisgarh Congress legislature party and senior leader Meenakshi Natarajan, was originally scheduled to arrive in Odisha on October 26 and 27 to engage with local party leaders regarding the selection of the state president.
The visit has been postponed indefinitely, with no new date set for rescheduling. Additionally, the busy schedule of Ajoy Kumar, the Odisha in-charge who is currently campaigning for the Assembly election in Jharkhand from the Jamshedpur East constituency, is contributing to the delay.
Kumar is not expected to return to Odisha until after the Jharkhand election campaign concludes. The process for appointing the OPCC president will commence only after the election in Jharkhand. Currently, the OPCC is being managed by a 15-member coordination committee.
The Pradesh Congress Committee has been without a state president and other committees for the past three months. The previous OPCC president, Sarat Pattanayak, along with other office-bearers, was removed on July 21 following the party’s unsatisfactory performance in the 2024 elections.
