KalingaTV News Network
New Delhi: Even as speculation about a change in the PCC leadership is doing the rounds in Odisha politics, senior Congress leader Sura Routray on Thursday emphatically claimed that Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi had assured that there would be ‘NO CHANGE’ in Odisha PCC leadership.
In an exclusively interview with Kalinga TV, Routray said, “Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had assured NO CHANGE in PCC leadership. They had said Prasad Harichandan will continue as OPCC boss.”
The former Minister said every wing of the Odisha Congress, along with many other leaders, former Ministers, MPs and MLAs, who have the true Congress spirit, want Prasad to continue while only a handful of leaders are demanding his ouster for their personal gain.
When asked about the resignation of Prasad on moral grounds, the Congress stalwart claimed that people from all walks of life in Odisha want Prasad to lead the Congress in Odisha.
“It is a matter of shame for the party that PCC presidents have been changed six times in only 10 years. The party has lost power as the leaders are busy fighting each other. How will they fight against Naveen Patnaik and Narendra Modi? All should come together and work hard to make the party stronger,” he added.
Routray, who has consistently and vehemently opposed any change in the OPCC leadership, had on Monday changed tack and demanded a change in other posts, including Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the State Assembly along with the OPCC president.
He had given his statement after the AICC observers’ team – comprising Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi, Tamrdhwaj Sahu and former Union Minister Jitendra Singh – met the presidents of the District Congress Committees (DCCs), MPs, MLAs and senior leaders during the three-day long meeting and discussed the party’s affairs in the state.
Ms Kalinga