BHUBANESWAR: Newly-appointed president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee Niranjan Patnaik said he firmly believed Congress’s decline in the state helped BJD to prosper. Patnaik had also no qualms in admitting that his party was dethroned in 2000, largely because of the arrogance of leaders and allegation of corruption as well as nexus with criminals.“Our decline is what has been the cause of BJD’s success. We also have to be humble in admitting that the people of Odisha punished us in the past because we were found to be too arrogant with power and because there were allegations of corruption and nexus with criminal elements,” read a one-page letter, addressed to party colleagues by Niranjan on Thursday. He posted the letter, written in English, on his Twitter handle on Thursday night, a few hours after being named as the OPCC chief.“We have to admit our past follies, ensure that we do not repeat any of them again, repent and go back to people with all humility. The task is difficult, but not impossible,” the letter read.A BJD leader endorsed Niranjan’s remark and said Congress indeed suffered due to the misdeeds of those in power. “But we prospered because of the good work of chief minister Naveen Patnaik and his government,” he said.Niranjan’s admission assumes significance as the Congress government that had been led by late chief minister J B Patnaik , saw its downfall in the late 1980s in the backdrop of a series of volatile issues like a sensational rape case, corruption charges and rampant hooliganism by the party workers.“Our president’s motive is very clear. Amidst apprehensions of past misdeeds, he wants the people of the state to give Congress another chance to govern. To make this happen, he wants each of us to reach out to the mass and genuinely stand by their problems or issues,” a close aide of Niranjan said.Niranjan has already launched a campaign on social media to revive the party. ‘The task is difficult, but not impossible’, ‘Let Congress rise again, let Odisha march forward’ and ‘The road ahead is tough, but together we can, and we will restore the glory of our party and our state’—are some of the catch lines Niranjan picked to galvanize the workers. Niranjan said he would listen to the grievances of all and will never disappoint anyone.Abhishek Mahananda, chairman and state coordinator of social media wing of Congress, said party workers and leaders are being encouraged to make the most of WhatsApp and Twitter to reach out to the mass. “We have already started the work to take social media to booth level. Booth coordinators are being identified to raise issues, affecting public, through social media. The digital tool can also be used for quick dissemination of information among party workers,” Mahananda said.

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