Disappearing hand of Congress in Odisha
5 min read
Express News Service
Over since Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan dropped the ‘early election’ bomb, the political scene in Odisha has instantly develop into surcharged with a bevy of political actions. The ruling BJD and its foremost challenger BJP have swung proper into the thick of motion. Organisational parleys of each the outfits have gained momentum and confrontation heated up whilst allegations and cross accusations over authorities insurance policies and schemes are repeatedly being flung at one another.
BJD, as normal, is on the high of its sport whereas the central BJP leaders and minister have been making a beeline to ship the appropriate message that Odisha tops their agenda. Politics over free rice and housing has gone excessive pitch.
The battleground has even discovered new entrants with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) asserting to discipline its candidates in the entire 21 Lok Sabha constituencies. But one social gathering appears to be in no hurry in any respect.
As is the state of Congress, it appears to do not know what to do. While, elsewhere Rahul Gandhi is out on a protracted padyatra, right here in Odisha, the grand outdated social gathering is shifting nowhere.Pradesh Congress chief Sarat Pattanayak has led the padyatra within the state however it has uncovered extra cracks and craters than herald a ray of hope.
The efficiency of social gathering within the polls, be the city and rural elections or the by-elections, have been dismal. Party candidates have set a file in shedding by-elections however nobody is clearly in any temper to introspect. There is intense, endless squabbling and two of its MLAs have been served present trigger for not adhering to the social gathering line. Those who’re energetic and rooted to electoral politics are being sidelined. It has been eight months since OPCC obtained a brand new chief, however he continues to perform sans any state office-bearers.
To lower a protracted story quick, Congress goes right into a coma. And nobody cares. There may be very little sync between the organisation and legislative wing of the social gathering. Senior leaders don’t even see eye to eye. PCC chief Pattanayak is accused of not being democratic in his actions whereas he enjoys little help from fellow members. The state-in-charges appointed infrequently are clueless and haven’t any grasp of the organizational disaster whilst promising leaders are slowly deserting the social gathering.
For a celebration that had dominated Odisha for nearly half the interval since Independence, it’s a sorry state of affairs. Its fortunes dwindling, the social gathering’s vote share has plummeted from 33.7 per cent in 2000 when it misplaced energy to BJD to 16 per cent in 2019.
If Odisha really goes into early elections, the social gathering will not be ready to even discipline combating candidates for all of the 147 constituencies. Simply as a result of, it has stopped evolving. It doesn’t enchantment to the younger aspiring voters and has no second-rung youth management in place whereas the irrelevant seniors proceed to occupy the area. Personal and household ambitions have taken priority over social gathering pursuits.
At the core of the issue is the Congress management at Delhi. Odisha simply doesn’t determine of their scheme of issues and the social gathering’s unravelling isn’t a surprise in any respect. The writing is clearly on the wall for the grand outdated social gathering.
Siba Mohanty
Resident Editor, Odisha
sibamohanty@newindianexpress.com
Over since Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan dropped the ‘early election’ bomb, the political scene in Odisha has instantly develop into surcharged with a bevy of political actions. The ruling BJD and its foremost challenger BJP have swung proper into the thick of motion. Organisational parleys of each the outfits have gained momentum and confrontation heated up whilst allegations and cross accusations over authorities insurance policies and schemes are repeatedly being flung at one another.
BJD, as normal, is on the high of its sport whereas the central BJP leaders and minister have been making a beeline to ship the appropriate message that Odisha tops their agenda. Politics over free rice and housing has gone excessive pitch.
The battleground has even discovered new entrants with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) asserting to discipline its candidates in the entire 21 Lok Sabha constituencies. But one social gathering appears to be in no hurry in any respect.
As is the state of Congress, it appears to do not know what to do. While, elsewhere Rahul Gandhi is out on a protracted padyatra, right here in Odisha, the grand outdated social gathering is shifting nowhere.Pradesh Congress chief Sarat Pattanayak has led the padyatra within the state however it has uncovered extra cracks and craters than herald a ray of hope.
The efficiency of social gathering within the polls, be the city and rural elections or the by-elections, have been dismal. Party candidates have set a file in shedding by-elections however nobody is clearly in any temper to introspect. There is intense, endless squabbling and two of its MLAs have been served present trigger for not adhering to the social gathering line. Those who’re energetic and rooted to electoral politics are being sidelined. It has been eight months since OPCC obtained a brand new chief, however he continues to perform sans any state office-bearers.
To lower a protracted story quick, Congress goes right into a coma. And nobody cares. There may be very little sync between the organisation and legislative wing of the social gathering. Senior leaders don’t even see eye to eye. PCC chief Pattanayak is accused of not being democratic in his actions whereas he enjoys little help from fellow members. The state-in-charges appointed infrequently are clueless and haven’t any grasp of the organizational disaster whilst promising leaders are slowly deserting the social gathering.
For a celebration that had dominated Odisha for nearly half the interval since Independence, it’s a sorry state of affairs. Its fortunes dwindling, the social gathering’s vote share has plummeted from 33.7 per cent in 2000 when it misplaced energy to BJD to 16 per cent in 2019.
If Odisha really goes into early elections, the social gathering will not be ready to even discipline combating candidates for all of the 147 constituencies. Simply as a result of, it has stopped evolving. It doesn’t enchantment to the younger aspiring voters and has no second-rung youth management in place whereas the irrelevant seniors proceed to occupy the area. Personal and household ambitions have taken priority over social gathering pursuits.
At the core of the issue is the Congress management at Delhi. Odisha simply doesn’t determine of their scheme of issues and the social gathering’s unravelling isn’t a surprise in any respect. The writing is clearly on the wall for the grand outdated social gathering.
Siba Mohanty
Resident Editor, Odisha
sibamohanty@newindianexpress.com
