Dr Ajoy Kumar Replaces Dr Chellakumar As AICC In-charge of Odisha

Bhubaneswar:  In a significant development, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has appointed Dr Ajoy Kumar, the former Jharkhand PCC chief, as the in charge of Odisha Congress.  Kumar will take over the charges from A. Chellakumar, who held the position for slightly more than three years.  

AICC has released notifications regarding the appointment on Saturday. 

Dr. Ajoy Kumar, a physician and former IPS officer, along with his experience as an MP from Jamshedpur, brings a wealth of expertise to the position. He previously managed the party’s affairs in Sikkim, Nagaland, and Tripura in 2021. Notably, Dr. Kumar had briefly switched to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) before the Jharkhand assembly elections in 2019, only to rejoin the Congress in September 2020.

A. Chellakumar, also a doctor, had been appointed as the AICC in-charge of the Odisha Congress on September 11, 2020. According to AICC sources, despite being a savvy politician, his inability to communicate effectively in Hindi hindered his ability to energize the party apparatus in Odisha. His exclusive use of English created difficulties for a majority of party leaders and workers to convey their messages to him. This dynamic change reflects the party’s strategic adjustments and efforts to bolster its presence in the state.

With the general elections just a few months away, this alteration has sparked speculation within political circles about possible further organizational changes in the near future.