Overview

• Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi held closed-door meetings with Odisha legislators and office-bearers to secure pledges for organisational solidarity
• The ‘Sambidhan Banchao’ rally in Bhubaneswar mobilised over 60,000 party workers and grassroots leaders in a show of revived momentum
• Kharge accused the BJP government of eroding constitutional safeguards and warned of a shift towards authoritarianism
• Under PCC president Bhakta Charan Das, Congress has established local committees and issue-based outreach as pillars of its multi-year revival plan
• Strategists say the campaign aims to exploit BJD’s organisational strain and BJP governance lapses ahead of 2027 local body polls