Owning moral responsibility for the dismal performance of the Congress in the zilla parishads elections in Odisha, BK Hariprasad on Monday resigned from the post of general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and also as a member of the AICC Working Committee.

Hariprasad told the media that he originally offered to resign on March 9 owning moral responsibility for the party's poor show in these polls.

Advertisement

He, however, ruled out quitting the party as he was a loyal party worker. "I will not think of quitting the party even in my wildest dreams," he added.

Soon after the death of Odisha Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra, differences within the state unit had increased.

Hariprasad had to face the ire of students' leaders in Odisha, leading to suspension of some of them. The students' wing threatened Hariprasad that he would be greeted with black flags through his tour of Odisha. Such differences resulted in BJD returning to power in many zilla parishads, and the Congress making way for BJP to occupy the position of principal opposition party.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had emerged as the single largest party winning 473 zilla parishad seats, while the BJP secured 297 seats. The Congress won only 60 seats.