Bhakta Charan Das, the former Union Minister and a prominent Congress leader, has resigned from his position as Chairman of the Odisha Congress Campaign Committee following the party's disappointing performance in the recent elections. Das took moral responsibility for the party's inability to secure the expected number of seats in both the Assembly and Parliament elections in Odisha.
In a letter addressed to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge, Bhakta Charan Das expressed his gratitude for the trust placed in him. He mentioned, "I was appointed as chairman of the Campaign Committee of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee on March 22, 2024. I am really grateful that the party reposed faith in me. I worked hard to contribute my best but unfortunately, we failed to come up to the expectations. We really appreciate the kind support and cooperation received from the Hon’ble Congress President, Former President Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders of AICC during the election."
Das further stated, "I take the moral responsibility of failure to get the expected number of seats both in Assembly and Parliament elections in Odisha. Therefore, I hereby resign from the post of Chairman, Campaign Committee, Odisha."
The results of the elections were indeed disheartening for the Congress party. In the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 20 out of the 21 seats available, while Congress managed to secure just one seat. In the Assembly elections, Congress won only 14 out of 147 seats, whereas the BJP emerged victorious in 78 seats.
In the midst of these developments, the swearing-in ceremony for Odisha’s new Chief Minister is scheduled for June 12. Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal confirmed this on Monday, stating, "PM Modi will reach on 12th June by 2:30 pm for the oath-taking ceremony. The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 5:00 pm. Tomorrow the BJP legislative meeting will be held."
When asked about the potential candidates for the Chief Minister position, Samal said, "BJPs parliamentary board will decide…No one is in the race (for the post of Chief Minister) in BJP…The observers will reach tomorrow."
Former Union Minister and BJP MP from Balasore, Pratap Chandra Sarangi, also commented on the selection process, indicating that the central observers would elect the next Chief Minister of Odisha.
"Union Ministers and Central Observers, Rajnath Singh and Bhupendra Yadav, to chair the first BJP legislative meeting at 4:30 pm at party headquarters in Bhubaneswar on June 11. The central observers should elect the leader of the party’s legislative assembly in Odisha," he said.
This follows the BJP’s announcement on Sunday that Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav have been appointed as central observers for the appointment of the Chief Minister of Odisha.
The decision was communicated in an official release by Arun Singh, the National General Secretary of BJP. The release stated, "The Parliamentary Board of the Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed Rajnath Singh, Union Minister, Government of India, and Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister, Government of India, as central observers for the election of the leader of the party’s legislative assembly in Odisha."
The political landscape in Odisha is set to undergo significant changes with these new developments, and the upcoming swearing-in ceremony will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the state’s governance.
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