Editing Utkal Congress

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox Indian political party
|party_name=Utkal Congress
|colorcode={{party color|Utkal Congress}}
|logo=
|foundation=1969
|dissolution=1974
|split=
|successor=
|merged=[[Pragati Legislature Party]]<br/>
[[Bharatiya Lok Dal]] (eventually)
|predecessor=
|eci=Dissolved
|abbreviation=UC
}}

'''Utkal Congress''' was a [[political party]] in the [[India]]n state of [[Odisha]]. It was formed in 1969 when [[Biju Patnaik]] left [[Indian National Congress]]. After the [[Legislative Assembly election results of Odisha#1971|1971 Odisha elections]] UC took part in the [[Bishwanath Das]] ministry in the state. In 1974 Utkal Congress merged into [[Pragati Legislature Party]] which eventually merged into [[Bharatiya Lok Dal]].

== Background ==

Odisha was a stronghold of Congress in immediate post independence era. However factionalism was rife. A group of Congress dissidents led by [[Harekrushna Mahatab]] split in 1967 to form [[Jana Congress]]. In 1967 general election Most of the leadership of Congress lost. In 1969 Congress split at national level forming [[Congress(O)]] and [[Congress(R)]]. Biju Patnaik remained with Congress(R) which was led by [[Indira Gandhi|Smt Indira Gandhi]]. However, in 1970 Rajya sabha elections the state unit proposed a different candidate to that of the central leadership. However, in the election both candidates lost. This caused Biju Patnaik led group to sever all the ties from the central leadership. Initially named as Utkal Pradesh Congress, the group ultimately chose Utkal Congress as their name with Biju Patnaik, Rabi Ray along with securing support from two former Chief Ministers of Odisha - [[Harekrushna Mahatab|Harekrushna Mahtab]], [[Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo|R.N.Singh Deo]] (Swatantra Party) & the [[Samyukta Socialist Party]] whose state unit merged into the Utkal Congress in 1972 following the SSP's dissolution.<ref name="Grover 1997 p. 448">{{cite book | last=Grover | first=V. | title=Indian Political System: Trends and Challenges | publisher=Deep & Deep Publications | issue=v. 10 | year=1997 | isbn=978-81-7100-883-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M4yABACTXw4C&pg=PA462 | access-date=2019-07-01 | page=448}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pioneer |first=The |title=Bijubabu's life a saga of adventures, sacrifices |url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/state-editions/bijubabu-s-life-a-saga-of-adventures--sacrifices.html |access-date=2022-05-02 |website=The Pioneer |language=en}}</ref>

== Electoral history ==

Biju Patnaik resigned from Congress(R) on 6 April 1970. Following that he along with his colleagues [[Nilamani Routray]] formed the state based party in the model of [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]]. This fledgling party Fought its first election soon after in [[1971 Indian general election|1971 General elections]]. It secured 24% votes and 32 seats.<ref name="Grover 1997 p. 453">{{cite book | last=Grover | first=V. | title=Indian Political System: Trends and Challenges | publisher=Deep & Deep Publications | issue=v. 10 | year=1997 | isbn=978-81-7100-883-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M4yABACTXw4C&pg=PA462 | access-date=2019-07-01 | page=453}}</ref> It formed a coalition with [[Swatantra Party]] and formed a government under leadership [[Bishwanath Das]]. This government did not last for long and few of the Utkal Congress members wanted to go back to Congress(I) (Congress(R) had named itself Congress (I) at this point). So a Congress(I) government under the leadership of [[Nandini Satpathy]] formed. However this government did not last long either. There was an [[1974 Odisha Legislative Assembly election|election in 1974 to Odisha legislature]]. Utkal Congress formed a coalition with Swatatantra party and a group of Congress (I) members led by Harekrushna Mahtab called [[Pragati Legislature Party|Pragati Legislature party]]. In the election Utkal Congress slightly increased it tally to 35 seats. However Congress won the majority. At the end of 1974 all the constituents of Pragati Legislature party merged with [[Charan Singh]] led Bharatiya Lok Dal.<ref name="Das & Dr. C. P Nanda p. 121">{{cite book | last=Das & Dr. C. P Nanda | first=P.M.N. | title=Harekrushna Mahtab | year=2001 | publisher=Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting | isbn=978-81-230-2325-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SR7iDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT121 | language=en | access-date=2019-07-01 | page=121}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==See also==
*[[Indian National Congress breakaway parties]]

[[Category:Defunct political parties in Odisha]]
[[Category:1969 establishments in Orissa]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1969]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 1977]]
[[Category:Bharatiya Lok Dal]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress breakaway groups]]


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