**Bhubaneswar: ** On the very first day of the meeting with the presidents of District Congress Committee (DCC) hailing from 26 party organisational districts and the heads of several frontal units, the deputed three-member team of AICC observers on Saturday could feel the pulse for a change of guard in the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) as well as the dire need for overhauling of the present set-up.
As Sunday parley has been earmarked for recording the opinions of the Congress MLAs, they are already hell bent on replacing the incumbent PCC president Prasad Harichandan since long for which they have in the past knocked the doors of Delhi Durbar of Congress high command.
While talking to media on Friday after holding a meeting convened by Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra at his residence here, Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati and young Congress MLA Yogesh Singh were very vocal batting for former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik for the challenging post and boosting up the apparent sagging morale of Congress workers in Odisha.
The MLAs also argue that their unanimous choice is able enough to re-build up Congress in Odisha as a force to reckon with.
Former Congress MP, noted tribal leader and Nabarangpur DCC president Pradip Majhi said, “This meeting will be a turning point for the party in Odisha. Soon after this opinion-seeking session, Delhi Durbar will definitely take a decision to revamp and rejuvenate Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee.”
“At the present juncture the way the present PCC set-up has taken up its programmes and activities, we won’t be able to be victorious in future. There is a need for the change in the present PCC structure and overhauling,” the seasoned young Congress Turk asserted.
Odisha unit Student Congress president Itish Pradhan demanded, “We openly want that our Congress party should be infused a new lease of life. If an experienced and able leader like former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik is again entrusted with the responsibility, Congress may be better organised and re-strengthened. It’s the demand gaining ground among the Congressmen as well as the general public. Such a message we would like to pass on to our high command through our observers visiting here.”
Durga Prasad Panda, President, DCC, Rayagada said, “The person who is our unanimous choice will be our PCC chief. It all depends on the final decision of the AICC, but the party steward here should be eligible one. Whatever decisive call Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi will take would augur well for our party.”
Naren Palei, President, DCC, Bhadrak said, “I apprised the observers that our party is weak. It all solely depends on your right report to AICC that would help rejuvenate our party organisation here.”
“The grassroots level party workers are okay. Need to be stopped the war of words between some top level Congress leaders here in the State for the betterment of our party,” the district level Congress leader complained.
The DCC president also demanded, “Whoever be entrusted with the task of leading the PCC here, be it the incumbent president or the new one, the AICC high command should give the PCC president target of 2019 electoral gains.”
Govind Patra, President, DCC, Malkangiri said, “The observers sought my opinion on the PCC change of guard. I vented my opinion. I openly demanded that an appropriate person should be made our PCC president so that our party will be steered forward in an emboldened manner. Whoever will be made by the AICC, the person will be accepted as our PCC president.”