NCP names Bijaya Mohapatra as Orissa unit president

Bhubaneswar, Mar 11 (UNI) Former Orissa Gana Parishad (OGP) president Bijaya Mohapatra was today nominated as president of the Nationalist Congress Party(NCP)'s Orissa unit with immediate effect.

The OGP and the Orissa unit of the Janata Dal(S) merged with the NCP in October last and Mr Mohapatra was appointed convener of the state unit.

A release, issued by NCP national general secretary A H Rizvi, said NCP president Sharad Pawar had appointed Mr Mohapatra as the new president and asked him to recommend the heads of various frontal organisations of the party in the state.

Mr Mohapatra had also been directed to prepare a list of the office-bearers and members of state executive committee and send the list to the central party office within a week for approval.

Mr Rizvi said the NCP high command was convinced of the existence of a political vacuum in Orissa in which the party could play a major role and emerge as a strong political force to be reckoned with for the development of the state.

The NCP, he further said, could play a role of effective Opposition against the ''misrule'' of the BJD and BJP government in the state.

Mr Rizvi said a massive rally was organised by Mr Mohapatra and his associates in Bhubaneswar, where leaders from different political parties had joined the NCP after assessing the political situation of the state.

The NCP, he said, was of the view that in the coming Assembly and Parliament elections, the people of Orissa would vote for the NCP.

UNI DP SJC/src RR RN1925