**Bhubaneswar: ** Even though the unconfirmed news of resignation tendered by Prasad Harichandan has been hogging the headlines soon after the declaration of Bijepur by-poll result on Wednesday, senior Congressman as well as Prasad’s father-in-law Suresh Chandra Routray confirmed it on Thursday.
In his media reactions on the Congress debacle in the Bijepur by-poll despite being its bastion, the veteran Congress leader said, “He (Prasad) being a wise man has tendered his resignation from the post owning moral responsibilty for the drubbing. He has sent his resignation letter to AICC president Rahul Gandhi.”
“The day he assumed the post of PCC president here, a handful of leaders of Congress party have been backstabbing him. During the panchayat polls, they were repeatedly on their Delhi mission and demanded before Rahul Gandhi to oust Prasad,” Suresh Routray burst.
Citing recent instances, he complained, “While the Bijepur by-poll campaign was on, a senior Congress leader (hinting at Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra) met Naveen Patnaik in Delhi. Some others also followed suit and spent money. During Prasad’s three and half years of tenure, he has been continuously falling prey to sabotage and backstabbing.”
“As Narasingha Mishra met Naveen Patnaik in Delhi, 10% of Congress votes got adversely affected instantly. His constituency’s block is adjacent and comes under Bijepur segment. It was expected to get 80% from that block. But it has all gone to BJD’s kitty,” Routray alleged.
He lambasted, “We the Congress leaders are solely responsible for the debacle. Whenever anyone dons the PCC president seat, we’re of the bad habit of pulling the legs and hell bent on his ouster. The PCC president is not allowed to work ably and properly. A bunch of crooks in our party are simply resorting to materialising their evil designs for which the fate of Congress is precarious here in Odisha.”