Expelled Congress leader Soumya Ranjan Patnaik took a big step forward by announcing a new political party ‘Ama Odisha’ at a massive ‘Bikalpa Rally’ in Biramaharajpur on November 25. Soumya has decided to project himself and his new political party as an alternative to Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government and hopes to put the last nail in the coffin of Congress Party in Odisha, which could be an herculean task for him though.

Soumya has decided to convert the ‘Ama Odisha’ organisation into a political movement in order to identify itself with the grass root issues of the state. The name ‘Ama Odisha’ is not new to people of Odisha. It’s an institution, which was set up on July 17, 1996 and has been actively promoting the movement to protect the Odia language and create awareness for blood donation. ‘Ama Odisha’ also celebrates the birth anniversary of Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das on 28th April as “Swabhiman Divas”.

Can Soumya provide a viable alternative to the BJD and Congress through his ‘Ama Odisha Party’? He may not be the most popular leader of Odisha, but definitely, he enjoys a great personality and has been active in the state’s socio-political arena for long. The former Lok Sabha MP may find it easier to reach out to the people, thanks to his strong organisational skills and massive base created via ‘Sambad’ and ‘Ama Odisha’.