The demand for change in the Odisha Pradesh Congress leadership has reached the Delhi Durbar.

A delegation comprising senior Congress leaders of the state left for New Delhi on Sunday to meet Rahul Gandhi on Monday.

Though AICC general secretary in-charge of Odisha A. Chellakumar had during the last one fortnight tried to evolve a consensus on the issue, nothing concrete emerged. Now leaders of all the squabbling factions of the state Congress have agreed to abide by Rahul Gandhi’s decision.

Considering that the party has been on a downslide in Odisha since 2000 this is not going to be an easy call. “We need a leader who can give a serious challenge to Naveen Patnaik led Biju Janata Dal in Odisha. For the last 21-years, Naveen Patnaik has not faced a serious threat from the Opposition. However, Congress is ready to hit the streets on various issues. But the party needs to be galvanised,” Cuttack-Barbati MLA Mohammed Moquim told The Telegraph.

There has been a demand from the party legislators to select an MLA to lead the party. “It will be better if one of us is given a chance to lead the party. However, we will abide by the decision of Rahul Gandhi. Hopefully, all speculations about the appointment of a new Pradesh Congress Committee chief will come to an end after leaders from Odisha meet Rahul Gandhi on Monday,” Moquim said, adding that a young leader should be given the baton to lead the party.

With the incumbent PCC president Niranjan Patnaik willing to step down the change of guard seems a certainty but the question is who succeeds him. “I have already told the leadership to change the PCC president . We will work for strengthening the party,” said Patnaik, who has been leading the party in Odisha since 2018.

Senior Congress MLA Suresh Kumar Routray said “We will suggest different ways to strengthen the party from the grassroots level. However, it’s the prerogative of the high to pick the state Congress leader."

Sources said Rahul Gandhi is likely to discuss the road map for the upcoming general elections in the meeting to be held with the state leaders.

Now Rahul Gandhi has to strike a balance between the demand for an MLA being made the Pradesh Congress Committee president and the party finding an effective leader to head the state organisation irrespective of whether he is an MLA or someone who did not get elected to the assembly. Now it is also to be seen whether AICC will immediately appoint a new PCC chief or wait for the completion of the bye-election for Brajaraj Nagar assembly scheduled to be held on May 31st.