Bhubaneswar: Nearly three months after the appointment of a new State President, the Congress party has unveiled its restructured Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) team. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge approved the list of 30 office bearers, signaling a significant reshuffling of the party’s leadership in the state.
The newly formed team includes seven Vice-Presidents, ten General Secretaries, twelve Secretaries, and a Treasurer. Notable appointments to the Vice-Presidency include senior leaders like Taraprasad Bahinipati, Ramesh Jena, C.S. Raazen Ekka, Santosh Singh Saluja, Debasis Patnaik, Lalatendu Mohapatra, and prominent woman leader Sasmita Behera.
The General Secretary positions have been filled by MLAs Ashok Das, Appal Swamy Kadraka, Prafulla Pradhan, Mangu Khilla, Pabitra Saunta, Nilamadhab Hikaka, ex-MLA Subarna Nayak, and youth leaders Syed Yashir Nawaz, Bijaynanda Chaulia, and Madhusmita Sethy. Siddharth Swarup Dash will serve as the Treasurer.
The Secretary roles have been assigned to Tuleswar Naik, Sasmita Panda, Shilpisri Harichandan, Debasmita Sharma, Lakshmidhar Singh, Dilip Duria, Rupak Turuk, Simanchal Giri Ulaka, Manisha Tripathy, Sakka Sujit, Mohan Hembram, and Anima Minz.
In a separate announcement, the AICC also approved the appointment of Satyajeet Gomang as the Chairman and Santosh Pradhan as the Co-Chairman of the party’s social media department.
The composition of the new team indicates a strategic focus on key demographics within Odisha. The party has seemingly prioritized tribal leaders, appointing Appal Swamy Kadraka, Mangu Khilla, Pabitra Saunta, and Nilamadhab Hikaka to significant roles. This move comes in the backdrop of the BJP’s appointment of a tribal leader as the Chief Minister and the Congress’s earlier decision to appoint a tribal MLA as its CLP leader, recognizing the significant tribal population (approximately 22%) in the state.
Minority communities have also found representation in the new OPCC team, with Syed Yashir Nawaz representing the Muslim community and C.S. Raazen Ekka representing Christians and the western Odisha region.
However, the new 30-member team features only two women leaders: Sasmita Behera and Madhusmita Sethy. This limited representation has drawn criticism from political observers, especially considering the emphasis being placed on women’s empowerment by both the ruling BJD and the opposition BJP.
Notably absent from the list are several senior leaders, including Mohammed Moquim, as well as any mention of former state presidents and former union ministers. This omission suggests a generational shift or a strategic realignment within the party’s state leadership.
While the current announcement marks a substantial restructuring of the Odisha Congress, party sources suggest that further announcements and appointments are expected in the near future, indicating a potential for further changes in the composition of the state unit.