Congress Appoints New Team for Odisha Unit with 30 Office-Bearers

Bhubaneswar: The Congress party has announced a fresh team for its Odisha unit, appointing 30 new office-bearers to revamp the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) following its dismal performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

In a major organizational overhaul, All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge approved the appointments, which include seven vice presidents, 10 general secretaries, 12 secretaries, and one treasurer for the OPCC.

Veteran leaders and former legislators feature prominently in the new lineup. Five-time MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, three-time legislator Ramesh Jena, two-time MLA CS Raazen Ekka, and former MLAs Santosh Singh Saluja, Debasis Patnaik, and Lalatendu Mohapatra have been appointed as vice presidents.

Among the newly appointed general secretaries are sitting MLAs Ashok Das, Mangu Khilla, Pabitra Saunta, and Nilamadhab Hikaka, along with youth leader Syed Yashir Nawaz.

Siddharth Swarup Dash has been appointed as the new treasurer of the Odisha Congress.

The restructuring comes months after the Congress president dissolved all organizational committees of the OPCC in response to the party’s electoral setbacks. In an earlier move aimed at revival, former Union Minister Bhakta Charan Das was appointed as the new OPCC president.

The latest appointments are part of the party’s broader strategy to strengthen its grassroots presence and rebuild its organizational strength in Odisha ahead of future elections.