Worried over mass exodus of senior leaders from the party, a group of young leaders today held a meeting here and decided to draw attention of the Congress high command to implement damage control exercise before the party completely sinks in Odisha.
A group of young leaders comprising Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan, senior leader L B Mohapatra, Rajya Sabha MP Ranjib Biswal and his elder brother Chiranjib Biswal decided to urge the party high command to bring all fractions together before the elections.
Though the young leaders did not speak against OPCC president Jaydev Jena and party's campaign committee chairman and Union minister Srikant Jena, they held the duo responsible for the mass exodus of senior leaders from the party.
"We will certainly draw attention of the party high command. Let the party's central leadership take certain step to arrest the desertion of senior leaders," Harichandan told PTI, adding that it was high time to keep the party united in order to give a befeiting reply to the 14-year-old "corrupt" BJD government.
The four leaders also decided to work for strengthening the party rank and file which had been demoralised due to the recent development.
"We must think why senior leaders are deserting the party before the elections. Besides, we will also give some suggestions on how to stem the rot and strengthen the party," Chiranjib Biswal said.
Besides former leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh and CLP secretary Anup Sai, many senior leaders like Ramakrushna Patnaik, his ex-MP wife Kumudini Patnaik, party spokesman Arya Kumar Gyanendra and Ashok Samal, senior leader Sarat Kar, Kamala Das and many others have already resigned from the party during a span of a fortnight.
The four leaders also admitted that the party should give ticket to the leaders who have been in the party and soley working for Congress since a long time.
