Bhubaneswar: Finally the Congress High command released B K Hariprasad as the Odisha in-charge of congress and bestowed the responsibility on former Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
A statement from Congress yesterday said “Congress President Rahul Gandhi has appointed Jitendra Singh, ex-union minister as AICC in charge of Odisha, in place of B K Hariprasad,”
It is for quite sometime that Hariprasad’s removal was a widespread speculation in the state’s political circle, particularly after Congress’ dismal performance in the rural local body hustings last year and the Bijepur By-poll last month. Besides, there was a strong resentment among a section of the party in Odisha against Hariprasad. Yet the central leadership had gone with Hariprasad till yesterday when Rahul Gandhi finally decided to free him.
Last year, in the wake of the party’s upset in the panchayat poll Hariprasad had offered to quit but went unaccepted.
The rate at which the congress leaders are breaking away from the party at present is seen as major contributor to the yesterday’s development. Three bigwigs including former union minister Chandra Sekhar Sahu have quit congress the day before yesterday.
Jitendra Singh the 48 years old former MP from Alwer is a close aide of Rahul Gandhi and his association with the Odisha Unit of Congress goes back to early last year when he was assigned to make a report of the party’s organizational conditions in Odisha.
Senior leaders like Niranjan Patnaik has exuded positive hopes in Jitendra Singh but a big challenge is awaiting the Alwer Rajkumar here in Odisha to keep the his unit intact.
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