Sarat Pattanayak is new chief of Odisha Congress

BHUBANESWAR: The All India Congress Committee on Monday appointed senior leader, Sarat Pattanayak (66), as the new chief of the party’s state unit. He succeeds Niranjan Patnaik (80), who had been holding the fort since April 19, 2018.
“Congress president Sonia Gandhi has accepted the resignation of Niranjan Patnaik from the post of president, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect. “She has also appointed Sarat to the post of president of the OPCC with immediate effect,” read a statement from the All India Congress Committee’s general secretary, K C Venugopal.
“The party appreciates the contributions of the outgoing PCC president, Niranjan Pattnaik,” it was further stated in the statement.
This is Pattanayak’s second term as the OPCC president. He held the post from 2001 to 2004. Pattanayak’s selection came in the wake of a massive revolt against Niranjan’s leadership, frequent dissidence and infighting among leaders and the sinking fortunes of the party, which has been out of power in Odisha since 2000. Though his name was doing the rounds a few days ago, some leaders had then indirectly opposed his candidature.
“I am aware of the challenges and am ready to face them. I am grateful to Sonia ji and Rahul ji for trusting me with the task. I will work in close cooperation with all the workers and leaders of our party,” Pattanayak, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Balangir twice in 1991 and 1996, said.
The new OPCC chief said he would seek the support of all in his party and draw the action plan for the 2024 elections.
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