India News | OPCC Revokes Suspension, Expulsion Order on Leaders, Appeals Those Who Left Party to Return

Bhubaneswar, Feb 14 (PTI) Three days after being named as the new president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), Bhakta Charan Das on Friday revoked the suspension and expulsion of all leaders and appealed to those who quit the party to return.

In a press statement, Das said, "The party has withdrawn all the earlier suspension and expulsion orders on leaders. We also appeal to the leaders who have quit the party to return. The Congress will welcome all leaders who believe in the ideology of the party."

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Party sources said Das is scheduled to return to Odisha on February 18.

"As soon as the new president arrives at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here, he will lead a ‘Sankalpa Padyatra' to the abode of Lord Jagannath in Puri," a senior leader said, adding that a 17-member coordination committee has been formed to organise the event.

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Das has appealed to all leaders and party workers to actively participate in the Padyatra and make it a success.

Das, 66, hailing from the tribal-dominated Kalahandi district, was appointed as the new OPCC chief seven months after the post remained vacant following Congress's dismal performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the state.

While Das belongs to Dalit category, the party appointed Rama Chandra Kadam, a tribal as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party.

According to political analysts, the grand old party has strategically put a tribal and a Dalit as the party's face in Odisha, which constitutes 23 per cent and 17 per cent of the state's population, respectively.

The party has remained out of power for 25 years after Naveen Patnaik took the reins of the state in 2000.

Now that Patnaik's BJD has lost the polls and the BJP emerged as the winner, Congress has been pushed to third position.

"As there is chaos in the BJD after the regional party lost power in the state and two of its MPs quitting the party, Congress could emerge as the potential alternative to BJP in Odisha if it strengthens its base," a senior leader said.

Das has appealed to all leaders and party workers to actively participate in the Sankalp Padyatra and make the event a success.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)