OPYC top post: Majhi to quit in June

BHUBANESWAR: Orissa Pradesh Youth Congress (OPYC) president Pradip Majhi will step down next month to pave the way for a new chief for which pre-election membership drive was launched on Sunday.Majhi can’t contest for the top YC job again as he would cross the age bar, 34 years and six months, by then. Announcing the pre-election membership drive at a news conference here, Majhi said the OPYC committee will be dissolved after 20 days. The date of the organisational polls will also be announced on the day of the dissolution of the committee.Elections to the booth committees will be held after membership drive of one month from the date of dissolution of the committee. Office-bearers of the elected booth committees will elect the presidents and office-bearers of the Assembly, the Lok Sabha and the State committees.As per the restructuring of the Youth Congress, the organisation does have block and district committees as before. These committees have been replaced by Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencylevel committees. Returning officers will be appointed to all the committees as per the guidelines of the Pradesh Election Officer (PEO) of the party, Majhi said.Sources said Majhi is likely to be entrusted with some new responsibilities.As a restructuring of the OPCC is on the cards, he may be appointed as an office-bearer.Majhi, the party MP from Nabarangpur, has emerged as the tribal face of the Congress in Orissa. Former chief minister Giridhar Gamang has kept a low profile after his defeat in the last Lok Sabha elections even though he again plunged into organisational work recently. Majhi is likely to be given a bigger role at the State organisation as the ruling BJD is playing the tribal card too.