Odisha AICC In-Charge Urges Party to Remove Non-Odias from State Politics

Bhubaneswar: Newly-appointed All India Congress Committee (AICC) Odisha in-charge Dr Ajoy Kumar on Saturday launched a no-holds-barred attack on the state’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) saying this party is now controlled by some ‘non-Odia’ persons.

He called upon the party workers to ensure that the non-Odia persons who are controlling the state politics are chased away from the state and the local people run their own government.

“Odisha is of Odias, by the Odias and for the Odias. However, some non-Odia people are now controlling state politics, jobs and the mining sector. Let’s fight these people away to restore the Odia pride,” said Dr Kumar while addressing the party workers and leaders at the Congress Bhawan here.

This is the maiden visit of Dr Kumar to Odisha after he was appointed as the AICC in-charge for the state.

Soon after he arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here, the veteran Congress leader was taken to the Congress Bhawan in a bike rally where he was extended a grand welcome by the party’s senior leaders.

The Congress is the third major political force in Odisha after the ruling BJD and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the major Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly.

“I’m quite optimistic that like Telangana where we rose from third position to power last year, we will also form the government in Odisha this time. People are fed up with the corrupt BJD and they are looking for an alternative and we will surely try to live up to their expectation,” said Dr Kumar.

Odisha will go to the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously this year.