Bhubaneswar: It has been over six months since the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections concluded in Odisha. Shortly after the polls, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak resigned, leaving a leadership vacuum that remains unaddressed by the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Leaving the pivotal post of PCC president vacant for such a long period is not unprecedented for Congress in Odisha. However, this extended delay reflects deeper issues within the party’s organisational structure. The state unit now waits anxiously for a leader who can inspire workers, mobilize grassroots efforts, and prepare the party for the crucial 2024 elections.
Names like Bhakta Charan Das, Shrikant Jena, Mohammed Moquim, Ramachandra Khuntia, and Jayadev Jena have emerged as potential candidates, sparking intense lobbying. Yet, the absence of a clear choice has only deepened the crisis.
A retrospective look at Congress’s 24-year journey in Odisha paints a grim picture of decline. After its 2000 defeat to the Biju Janata Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJD-BJP) alliance, the grand old party has failed to stage a meaningful comeback. Its inability to challenge the BJD's dominance or counter the BJP’s rise has left Congress struggling for relevance.
The results of this year’s elections underscored this trend. The party secured only one of Odisha’s 21 Lok Sabha seats, a dismal showing. In the Assembly elections held simultaneously, Congress slightly improved its tally to 14 seats, up from nine in 2019—an improvement too modest to inspire confidence.
Rahul Gandhi, considered Congress’s preeminent leader, has largely neglected Odisha’s political landscape. His infrequent visits, typically during election seasons, have done little to rejuvenate the party or ignite enthusiasm among its workers.
"As panchayat and urban elections approach, with both the Bharatiya Janata Party and BJD gearing up their campaigns, Congress must act decisively to stay in the game," says political analyst Professor Dr. Kishore Chandra Swain. "Otherwise, the party risks sliding into irrelevance, much like the Left parties in Odisha, and may find it impossible to recover."
The uncertainty continues, as the state unit waits for AICC to demonstrate the urgency and vision required to rebuild Congress in Odisha.
