AICC member in-charge of Odisha Jagdish Tytler on Friday predicted that the Congress would come to power in the state in 2014 assembly elections.
He, however, admitted that the party had failed to highlight the centre-sponsored schemes among the people of the state. The Congress leader was attending a meeting of Congress workers and party leaders of Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Rayagada districts at Jeypore on Friday.
Commenting on the raging controversy involving chief minister Naveen Patnaik and MP Pyarimohan Mohapatra, Tytler said, “The present fight between the chief minister and Pyarimohan Mohapatra is a natural consequence. It signals the BJD government has started crumbling. Mohapatra himself demanding a CBI inquiry into the mining scam speaks of large-scale corruption in the government during the BJD rule.”
“All development schemes in the fields of health, education, roads, drinking water etc are being funded by the centre. But we have failed to cash in on it. People will have to be made aware of the centre- sponsored welfare schemes, and I am quite confident that the Congress will dethrone the BJD government in the 2014 elections,” he said.
Holding factionalism within the party responsible for its poor show in the recent panchayat election and a few bypolls, Tytler said, “The main reason for the growth of factionalism in the party is the race to get party ticket during elections. Workers feel if they remain with a certain leader, they will easily get a party ticket to contest elections. But from the next elections, party tickets will be allotted to candidates only if their names are recommended by the block and the district units of the party.”
Though the assembly elections is two year away, regional meetings of the Congress held in Bhubaneswar, Balasore, Samabalpur and Jeypore indicate that the national party has already started gearing up for the coming assembly election.
“From the next month, we will visit each and every village to highlight the failures of the BJD government, which is neck-deep in corruption, and the benefits of the Centre-sponsored programmes for tribals. We are prepared to face a mid-term poll,” said former Koraput MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, appealing to party workers to work together to root out the BJD government.
Earlier, dismissing the speculation of a possible change in the state party leadership, Tytler said in Sambalpur on Thursday there is no such plan in the near future as the party is functioning well under the present leadership. Speaking to the press, Tytler, however, hinted at action against those creating disturbance in the party.
