Odisha Congress president downplays Bahinipati’s revolt

BHUBANESWAR: State Congress president Niranjan Patnaik has sought to downplay his party colleague and Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati’s persistent broadside against him. Niranjan said he does not care a hoot about Tara’s revolt.
Tara, who is also Congress whip in the assembly, has been taking pot shots at Niranjan and questioning his leadership. Tara has been accusing Niranjan of weakening the party base in Odisha and demanding his immediate replacement.
“I am not taking his words seriously. But he should refrain from talking about the party’s internal matters in front of the media. I do not want to react to his criticisms against me,” Niranjan told TOI. Niranjan parried a question on whether the party would initiate any disciplinary action against Tara for his alleged revolt against the party’s state leadership.
Niranjan denied the unpleasant development would impact the faction-ridden Congress’s preparations for the Panchayat polls, scheduled for early next year. “We have started the preparations for the forthcoming Panchayat polls. We held a meeting with the district Congress presidents and observers today (Monday). All India Congress Committee in-charge for Odisha A Chellakumar is scheduled to visit Bhubaneswar on August 31 to oversee the arrangements,” Niranjan said.
Niranjan, who was appointed as party’ state president in April 2018, has been feeling the heat from inside the party with a section of rebels seeking his replacement in the wake of party’s humiliating defeats in 2019 general elections, Patkura assembly poll in July 2019, Bijepur assembly by-poll in October 2019, Balasore Sadar and Tirtol assembly by-polls in November 2020. The Congress, which had been the main opposition in the assembly, lost the status to the BJP after the 2019 poll debacle. The Congress dissidents had held several meetings and demanded that Barabati-Cuttack MLA Mohammad Moquim be made the new Congress president in Odisha.
In May 2019, Niranjan had tendered his resignation from the president’s post in the wake of the party’s crushing defeat in the general elections. But the AICC retained him.