Bhubaneswar, Nov 4: Speculation regarding the next president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) intensified on Monday with the arrival of selection committee member Charan Das Mahant in Bhubaneswar. Mahant is set to attend a meeting at the party headquarters to engage with local party members.
“I am here to meet our people on the direction of the Congress high command. We will discuss strategies to strengthen the party in the state in the coming days. I will listen to their concerns and relay them to the party leadership,” he stated to reporters.
The discussions are expected to focus on leadership and organizational reforms aimed at revitalizing the Odisha unit, which has been struggling to maintain its relevance in state politics.
When asked about the intense lobbying for the state party chief position, Mahant, who leads the Congress legislature party in Chhattisgarh, remarked, “I am a person with no lobby. Lobbying does not work with me.” He also indicated that a decision regarding the state unit president is unlikely to occur soon, citing the upcoming elections in Jharkhand scheduled for November 13 and November 20. “Even if we submit the report, they will not be able to review it until the results are declared on November 23. After that, we will hold discussions with the high command, and if necessary, I will return to the state,” he added, but he refrained from commenting on potential candidates for the OPCC chief position.