Bhubaneswar, Jan 24: The Odisha Congress suffered a major setback on Saturday after at least 41 party workers and leaders, all supporters of expelled senior leader Mohammed Moquim, resigned en masse, citing dissatisfaction with the state leadership.

Those who quit include a former Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) secretary, a former party spokesperson, former block Congress presidents, a Mahila Congress secretary, and several youth and student wing leaders.

In a joint resignation letter, the leaders alleged that the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) was suffering from “ineffective and directionless leadership” and accused it of being increasingly disconnected from grassroots workers.

The resignations follow the recent expulsion of Mohammed Moquim, a former MLA from Barabati–Cuttack, a decision that has triggered resentment among his supporters. The group described the action against Moquim as arbitrary and said it reflected a growing intolerance for dissent within the organisation.

The resigning leaders claimed that repeated concerns raised by party workers had been ignored, leading to widespread demoralisation. They alleged that the present leadership had failed to strengthen the Congress at the ground level or provide a clear political roadmap for the party in Odisha.

“No effort has been made to engage with grassroots workers or address internal issues,” one of the resigning leaders said, adding that the party was losing credibility among its cadre.

There was no immediate official response from the Congress party or the OPCC leadership at the time of filing this report.

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Moquim, who was expelled from the Congress earlier this year, has announced that he plans to launch a new political party by the end of March, a move that could further alter Odisha’s political landscape.