Odisha Congress leaders are upbeat over Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the state during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

The party feels Rahul’s visit would infuse necessary vigour into the party to take on the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the coming election.

Releasing the schedule of Rahul’s programme at the party office on Thursday, senior Congress leaders Sarat Rout, Panchanana Kanungo, Biswaranjan Mohanty and others said the party would immensely benefit from the visit. The party has been out of power in the state for the past 23 years and has been relegated to the third position following the rise of the BJP.

Senior Congress leader Sarat Rout told The Telegraph: “During his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Rahul Gandhi will enter the state from Jharkhand through Mayurbhanj. Rahul Gandhi will remain in the state for four days and undertake tours through Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundergarh and Jharsuguda districts. Though the date has not yet been finalised, we have been informed that he would reach Odisha in the second week of February.”

Rout said from Odisha the yatra will enter Chhattisgarh.

Rout said: “Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo yatra had a big impact on people across India. The people here in Odisha are frustrated with the BJD’s 23 years of misgovernance. Similarly, the people have also realised that the BJP is hand-in-glove with the BJD here in the state. The BJD is the B team of BJP. They see the Congress as an alternative to the ruling dispensation in the state. Rahul’s visit would certainly have its impact on the state.”

The faction-ridden Odisha Pradesh Congress is hopeful to resurrect itself following the visit of Rahul to the state.

In a related development, the student and youth wing of the Congress on Thursday opposed the visit of BJD leader V.K. Pandian to Bolangir. Pandian was to attend a “Nabin Odisha” programme at Gandhi stadium.

Wearing black badges, the Congress leaders protested saying when western Odisha’s leading university Rajendra University and other educational institutions were facing an acute shortage of academic staff, why the state government was holding political programmes and wasting public resources.

“Even the examination was there in the colleges. The programme hampered the student’s studies,” said a youth leader Ankit Sahu. While they were about to go in a procession towards the stadium, police stopped them midway.