Bhubaneswar, Odisha : As part of its ongoing organizational restructuring campaign, the Indian National Congress has appointed observers in four states—Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, and Punjab—to oversee the election of District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents. The appointments, made under the Congress Organizational Creation Drive, received final approval from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
For Odisha, a total of 35 observers have been appointed, reflecting the party’s focus on strengthening its grassroots presence ahead of the upcoming electoral battles. The appointment of experienced leaders as observers highlights the party’s strategy to ensure fair and transparent internal elections across districts.
The list of observers for Odisha includes prominent Congress leaders such as N. Raghubir Reddy, G.C. Chandrashekhar, E. Tukaram, Dean Kuriakose, Shreyas Patel, Shobha Tai Bachob, D.K. Suresh, S.A. Sampat Kumar, Dr. Sribella Prasad, Chetan Chauhan, Gopinath Palaniyappan, Manij Chauhan, Ganesh Yadav, J.D. Seelam, Shaik Mastan Vali, Shobha Oza, Mahesh Sharma, Charan Singh Sapra, Mamta Bhupesh, Rizwan Arshad, Parmeshwar Nayak, C.D. Meyappan, Sachin Nayak, Sanjay Kapoor, Jetty Kusum Kumar, Ramlal Jat, Bimal Shah, M. Lizu, Charulata Tokas, Hasan Maulana, Amit Singh, Raghavendra Singh, Nitin Kumbalkar, Indraraj Gurjar, and Dr. Palak Verma.
Party insiders said that the deployment of observers is meant to bring a transparent, democratic process to the Congress’s internal organizational elections. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) believes that appointing leaders from outside the state ensures impartiality and accountability during the selection of DCC presidents.
Political analysts note that Odisha has been a challenging ground for the Congress in recent years, with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerging as stronger forces. The move to appoint a large pool of 35 observers signals the party’s intention to revive its cadre and strengthen its district-level leadership.
With similar appointments in Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, and Punjab, the Congress leadership hopes to inject fresh energy into its state units. The appointments are seen as a part of the Congress’s larger revival plan ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and upcoming assembly elections.
