Boeing case flies thick and fast

BHUBANESWAR: The State unit of the Congress, grappling with the problem of acute factionalism, has been embarrassed further with the Boeing kickback case coming to the fore. BJD has pointed accusing fingers at the senior Congress leader and the then Civil Aviation minister Jagdish Tytler, who is now in-charge of the Orissa affairs.This comes close on the heels of the public spat between OPCC president KP Singhdeo and working president Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra over the issue of defeated party candidates contesting the zilla parishad polls. As expected, the BJD has seized the opportunity by trying to put Tytler in the dock. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Surjya Narayan Patro has challenged Tytler to prove himself clean before speaking anything against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik or the BJD Government.Soon after taking charge of State Congress, Tytler had launched a tirade against the Naveen Patnaik Government by raising several issues of irregularities. He had also asked seven questions to Naveen on the implementation of MGNREGS and other Central schemes during his last visit to the State.Boeing issue comes at a time when delay in the announcement of the new OPCC president has further demoralised the Congress rank and file in the State. Some Congress leaders said the High Command should announce the new OPCC president without delay so that the party can cash in on the ‘revolt’ in the BJD after the Cabinet reshuffle on May 10. Sources maintained that three months after effecting a reshuffle in the AICC, the Congress has set in motion the process of appointing new PCC chiefs in some six states, including Orissa. Senior leader and former minister Niranjan Patnaik, working president and former Union minister Chandrasekhar Sahu and Mohapatra have emerged as the front-runners for the top post.Changes are also expected in the Orissa Pradesh Youth Congress (OPYC) with its president and MP Pradip Majhi set to retire  next month, paving way to his successor’s election.