Tathya.in, 21, April, 2009
Bhubaneswar:21/April/2009
With expectation that Congress could make a come back this time, the party leaders have apparently entered into the race for the Chief Minister (CM)’s post.
As the poll pundits claim that Congress could bag at least four of the 10 Lok Sabha seats and about 30 of the 70 assembly seats where polling was held on first phase, the leaders were encouraged.
Take the instance of former Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang.
Gamang, whose fate was sealed in the EVM for Koraput Lok Sabha seat, came down to the state capital and showed extra interest in party activities in Bhubaneswar.
Gamang who preferred to keep a distance from the Congress Bhavan here, attended meetings here and offered himself to join campaigning in the second phase of polling scheduled on 23 April.
This is not the case of Gamang alone, another former Chief Minister J B Patnaik, though denied a ticket to contest this time, also held several meetings for Congress candidates.
While Patnaik was aiming for the Kursi for the fourth time, he predicted a Congress come back this time.
Party’s senior leader Narasingha Mishra who contested from Balangir Lok Sabha seat also campaigned for party candidates with a hope of drawing attention of the Congress high command.
Party’s Lok Sabha candidate from Kalahandi, Bhakta Charan Das was also not lagging behind.
Knowing that he was in good book of the party leader in Delhi, Das too aims the kursi on third floor of the state secretariat.
PCC president K P Singhdeo, though did not contest from any seat this time, was the natural claimant for the post if the Congress came to power again.
Bur Singhdeo, reportedly had irked, sources said, the party leaders in Delhi by time and again threatening to withdraw from the PCC post.
Singhdeo, however, hoped that with backing of Gulam Nabi Azad, he could make it.
Azad had categorically told media that this time, the Congress would give a new face in Orissa if voted to power.
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