Bhubaneswar: Former Rajnagar MLA Anshuman Mohanty tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the Congress party on Wednesday. Sources reveal that Anshuman formally submitted his resignation to Sarat Pattanayak, the president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC). Alongside stepping down from his role as Kendrapada district Congress president, Anshuman’s departure marks a notable shift in the political landscape of Odisha.
Son of former minister and Congress stalwart Nalini Kanta Mohanty, Anshuman made his mark in state politics by securing victory in the 2014 Assembly elections from Rajnagar constituency in Kendrapada. His triumph was seen as a redemption of his father’s 2009 defeat. However, Anshuman faced defeat in the 2019 elections at the hands of Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) Dhruba Sahoo.
Anshuman’s resignation comes at a crucial juncture for the Congress party, which has been striving to consolidate its position in Odisha. His departure, attributed to personal reasons, is expected to have a ripple effect on the party’s grassroots support, given his stature as a mass leader in the region. Analysts suggest that Anshuman’s exit may pose challenges for the Congress’s electoral prospects, particularly in Kendrapada and surrounding areas.
This development follows closely on the heels of another prominent resignation within the Congress ranks, with Biplab Jena, the former president of the Angul district Congress Committee, also relinquishing his primary membership. In a letter addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Jena cited difficulties in fulfilling his responsibilities to serve the people of Angul and Odisha while remaining within the party fold.
As the political landscape in Odisha undergoes shifts and realignments, the resignations of Anshuman Mohanty and Biplab Jena underscore the evolving dynamics within the Congress party and its implications for the forthcoming electoral battles.
