Odisha: Congress members bat for Moquim as chief

BHUBANESWAR: Fresh trouble erupted in faction-ridden Congress in Odisha with a group of leaders on Wednesday raising the banner of revolt against state president Niranjan Patnaik and seeking his immediate ouster from the post. Around 30 members batted for

Barabati-Cuttack

MLA Mohammad Moquim as the suitable replacement for the post of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president.


“We discussed strategies to strengthen the party that suffered worst defeats in April elections and recent bypolls in

Patkura

and Bijepur assembly segments. Niranjan Patnaik failed to steer the party to success. There is a need for a dynamic leadership in OPCC. Mohammad Moquim should be made OPCC chief,” read a written statement signed by a Congress leader Sanat Das. The statement further said a delegation will soon meet party interim president Sonia Gandhi at Delhi and place their demand for Moquim’s appointment as Congress state president.

The group of dissident leaders held a closed-door meeting in a hotel here on Wednesday and sharpened their demand for Niranjan’s replacement. Neither Moquim nor any MLA of Congress were present.

Arindam

Sarkel

, who had unsuccessfully contested from Paradip assembly constituency on Congress ticket in April, said Moquim should be given the mantle. “We all saw in April polls how Moquim babu dealt a jolt to BJD in Barabati-Cuttack seat that was the ruling party’s stronghold for years. Moquim babu is a senior leader and capable of leading the OPCC,” said Sarkel, who was present in the meeting.

Moquim, a first-time MLA, refused to comment. “I do not want to say anything on the meeting and their demand to make me OPCC president,” Moquim said. Moquim even avoided question whether he engineered the meeting of rebels against Niranjan.

Niranjan came down heavily on the faction group ahead of the proposed revamping of the party and said he is ready to quit the post. “I am no longer interested to hold the president post. Those, who aspire to replace me, should openly tell me so that I can recommend their names to the All India Congress Committee. But, such anti-party meeting reflects poorly on Congress. I had immediately offered to step down from the president post in May after the election debacle,” said Niranjan, who was appointed as party’s state president in April 2018 following massive revolt against his predecessor Prasad Harichandan.

Backing Niranjan, Congress Jatni MLA Suresh Rautray said the former should not be removed from the president post. “We are all set to revamp the party under Niranjan babu’s leadership. In August, the party high command dissolved office-bearers and all committees under OPCC. Niranjan babu was asked to continue. We should support him and focus on party revival plan,” Rautray said.