Congress Appoints Bhakta Charan Das As New OPCC President
New Delhi: My aim is not to become the Chief Minister of Odisha but to strengthen the Congress party and win the hearts and minds of the people, said newly appointed Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Bhakta Charan Das.
In an exclusive interview with Odishabarta, the OPCC President said, “All the leaders and workers of the party are together united and I hope they continue to be and we all work together. Pandit Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das is my role model as service of the people is the only aim of my life.”
“We will begin preparation for the upcoming panchayat elections to be held in 2027. I will step down as OPCC chief if we don’t get the expected results. It will be arrogance to say now that Congress will form government in Odisha in 2029 but we will try our best,” he added.
He further said, “The party high command trusted me as they have noticed the experience and organisational skills that I have. I have already expressed my gratitude to All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for giving me this opportunity to lead the party in Odisha.”
Kharge appointed former Union minister Bhakta Charan Das as the new OPCC President to succeed Sarat Pattanayak, who had resigned from the post in July, 2024 following the party’s poor performance in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, all the leaders including former Union Minister Srikant Jena, former MLA Mohammed Moquim and former OPCC president Jayadev Jena, who also were formidable contenders for the post, welcomed Bhakta’s appointment and expressed their willingness to work in-coordination with him for the betterment of the party.
Bhakta had represented the Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat thrice but unsuccessfully contested the 2024 election from the Narla Assembly segment. He was the deputy minister of Youth Affairs and Sports between 1989 and 1990, and minister of state for Railways from 1990 to 1991. Prior to this, he was the MLA of Bhawanipatna Assembly seat between 1985 and 1989.
