By D N Singh
Psychologies those drive the parameters of the Odisha Congress, can come heavy on even a real psychologist to make out as what prescription can ameliorate its ills.
The new PCC president, Sarat Patnaik, has made an appeal to the Congress leaders that, any leader addressing to people should, now onwards, start saying ‘Jay Jagannath’ and end with Congress ‘Zindabad’.
Such an appeal, obviously, has not augured well with all and inside the meeting venue, say the sources, many eyebrows were raised in askance!
Whether it was a teaser to redeem the grounds lost among the majorities or simply to play a different tune is still in mystery. It is so delicate an issue that, nobody has come out commenting on such a stance taken by Sarat Patnaik, like ‘Jay Jagannath’.
This may be a tactics aimed at driving wedges into the majority vote bank now dominated by the right. But, the Congress cannot overlook the sentiments of minorities on whose strength the national party has benefited the most.
That apart, a ‘Chintan Sivir’ is usually mulled to flatten the curves and rebuild the floor for harmony.
But the remarks, during his address, by the outgoing PCC president, Niranjan Patnaik, was a real stunner for the incumbent PCC chief.
In an apparent swipe at the high command Niranjan said that, people having a record of losing elections in past so many years are made the PCC presidents.
It was nearly a barb which entangles Sarat Patnaik as well, who has been in the political wilderness having lost elections in consecution, let alone any podium finish.
The other thing that must worry Sarat Patnaik is that, two most discussed Congress legislators did not participate in the ‘sivir’. Tara Prasad Bahinipati and Mohammed Moquem were conspicuously missing from the deliberations.
