Leader of opposition in Orissa and Congress Legislature Party leader J B Patnaik and state party president Jaydev Jena resigned from their posts on Saturday to facilitate reorganisation of the party ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
While senior leader Ramachandra Ulaka, MLA from Rayagada, was named as the new CLP leader, the name of new PCC president would be announced later in Delhi, senior party leader and member of a team of AICC observers, Janardan Dwivedi told reporters here.
He said both Patnaik and Jena handed over their resignations during separate meetings with the team of central observers. Other than him, general secretary Ajay Maken and V Narayan Sami were part of the team.
The AICC team individually met 37 of the 38 Congress MLAs in order to elicit their views on many issues including the question of leadership, he said.
Patnaik, who has been chief minister of Orissa for 14 years, had suggested that the selection of the new CLP leader should be left to party President Sonia Gandhi. This was seconded by Jaydev Jena.
Immediately the matter was communicated to Gandhi who nominated Ulaka as the new CLP leader, Dwivedi said.
