Prasad Harichandan appointed Odisha PCC President

Setting all rumours and speculations into rest, senior Congress leader and former Satyabadi MLA Prasad Harichandan has been appointed as the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President. He pipped former Nabarangpur Lok Sabha MP Pradeep Majhi to get the coveted post.

Harichandan will replace incumbent Jayadev Jena, who failed to guide the Odisha Congress during his second stint. Congress suffered embarrassing defeat in Lok Sabha and Assembly polls and the subsequent bypoll in Kandhamal during his tenure.

Earlier, names of former Niranjan Patnaik and Chiranjib Biswal were also doing the rounds. However, Prasad Harichandan and Pradeep Majhi were leading the race. In the end, Sonia Gandhi gave the nod to the former because of his experience and expertise in organisational matters.

Prasad Harichandan got a crown full of thorns, as Congress is going through its worst-ever phase in Odisha politics. The party is in danger of losing out to the BJP in the race to secure second spot, as Naveen Patnaik-led BJD remains invincible in the last 15 years.