Cong brings back old war horse Sarat Pattnayak as OPCC chief

Party sources said Sarat Pattnayak, who is considered close to 10 Janpath, was selected based on the partys performance in the 2002 panchayat elections when he was the OPCC president.Niranjan Patnaik, his predecessor in the second stint, had resigned immediately after the 2019 general election in the face of the partys debacle in the state.

Congress on Monday brought back its old war horse Sarat Pattnayak appointing him the new Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president replacing Niranjan Patnaik ending long drawn speculations and uncertainties in the grand old party in the state since 2019. 66-year-old Pattnayak, who hails from Bolangir, returned to the post almost 18 years after his first stint as OPCC president between 2001 to 2004. Party sources said Sarat Pattnayak, who is considered close to 10 Janpath, was selected based on the party's performance in the 2002 panchayat elections when he was the OPCC president.

Niranjan Patnaik, his predecessor in the second stint, had resigned immediately after the 2019 general election in the face of the party's debacle in the state. Though he had stepped down owing moral responsibility, the AICC high command did not accept his resignation and kept in hanging till May 23, 2022. The party during the period had contested at least three assembly by-elections, one panchayat and an urban body election under the leadership of Niranjan Patnaik, who publicly announced his reluctance to take the party's responsibility. Of the by-poll in three setas, Congress candidates had faced ignominy by losing deposits in two. The party's performance was also equally dismal in the recently concluded panchayat and urban polls. Under Sarat Pattnayak, Congress had given a tough fight to the ruling BJD and had bettered BJP by a hundred seats in the panchayat poll in 2002. "I will work hard to revive the party by taking cooperation of all the leaders," Sarat Pattnayak said and thanked Congress president Sonia Gandhi for reposing faith in him. Congress will fight the elections unitedly and preparations will begin for the 2024 general election after the Brajarajnagar by-poll, he said. The May 31 by-poll will in fact be Pattnayak's first challenge in his second stint as the Odisha Congress chief. The party has fielded former speaker Kishore Patel in the seat. Analysts said that Pattnayak has a major challenge in uniting and strengthening the faction ridden party, arrange funds for electionand at the same time face the might of BJD in power in the state for over 20 years. Outgoing PCC chief Niranjan Patnaik congratulated Sarat Pattnayak on his appointment. "I am glad to know that Sarat Pattanayak has been appointed as the new President of OPCC. I am confident that under his able leadership, Odisha Congress will touch new heights,'' he tweeted.

Pattnayak was elected to Lok Sabha twice from Bolangir Lok Sabha seat in 1991 and 1996. He had also served as the state Youth Congress president and was at one time its NSUI general secretary.

He was also an AICC secretary. As an MP he took up development works like KBK Yojana, Lower Suktel and Lower Indra irrigation project and the Balangir-Khurda railway line.

It was during his first stint as OPCC president the then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao had visited Bolangir and Nuapada districts and declared the KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) Yojana at Kalahandi. He also took up the matter of drought in the backward KBK region former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.

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