Odisha Congress working president Pradeep Majhi quits party, likely to join BJD

In a major jolt to Congress ahead of the panchayat polls due in early 2022, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) working president and former MP Pradeep Majhi resigned from the party's primary membership on Friday.

The resignation letter was sent to the party's interim president Sonia Gandhi.

A prominent tribal leader and former MP from Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency, Pradeep Majhi had good command over tribal communities in Western Odisha. He was at the forefront of the party's fight against the ruling BJD on various issues.

Majhi said that he wanted to serve people while being in Congress, but the party "lacks enthusiasm".

"With profound respect and obedience, I beg to state with extreme sorrow and pain that I have decided to resign from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress," Majhi said in the letter.

In his letter, Majhi blamed the state leadership for his resignation.

"The organisation of the party was extremely well managed by your dynamic leadership, which gradually declined due to recalcitrant persons occupying pivotal posts at different levels, and now the party has almost lost its credibility, which may take a long time to revive," he stated in the letter.

The former MP said that he had joined the Indian National Congress party with utmost enthusiasm with a view to serve the needy people. The party provided ample opportunity and placed him at the top of others without any demand from his side and he enjoyed the respective position and gained love and favour of the general public, he added.

He, however, said, "I have a great desire to serve my people, in whatever position I am, which is now lacking in the Congress party. I am painfully quitting the party for which I may kindly be excused. I shall however perform my duties as per your ideology and serve the people with utmost satisfaction."

A Congress leader who did not wish to be named told India Today, "Before 2019, the Congress was the main Opposition party in Odisha. We have been replaced by BJP. How can you expect improvement without connecting with the common masses and raising issues related to the common man just by sitting mute inside four walls of the OPCC Office and confined to a few members only."

Sources close to Majhi said that the former parliamentarian is most likely to join the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) soon.

ALSO READ: Foresters help baby elephant reunite with mother in viral video from Tamil Nadu. Watch
ALSO READ: Assam govt burns 2,500 seized rhino horns in special ceremony. Here's why