Niranjan Patnaik new Congress chief in Odisha

New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) The Congress on Thursday appointed Niranjan Patnaik as its new state unit chief in Odisha where elections are due next year.

Three Working Presidents - Naba Das, Chiranjiv Biswal, both MLAs, and Pradeep Majhi, a former MP - were also appointed, a party release said.

Patnaik replaces Prasad Harichandran.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi also made several other key appointments in the Odisha unit to the put the party in poll mode amid efforts by the BJP to make inroads in the state.

Former MP Bhakata Charan Das has been appointed Chairperson of the Campaign Committee, former Union Minister Srikant Jena will head the Manifesto Committee, former state unit chief Jaidev Jena the Core Committee and former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal of the Disciplinary Committee. 

The coordination committee will be headed by Jitendra Singh, who is party incharge of Odisha.