Bhubaneswar: The three-member team of observers constituted by the National President of the Congress party  Sonia Gandhi to take stock of the situation in Odisha Pradesh Congress today held separate meetings with various district presidents in the first leg of their fact finding mission.

Reports said that the team comprising Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi and Tamradhwaj Sahu and former Union Minister Jitendra Singh held deliberations on  the current political situation of the party in the state and also sought their opinion on the change of OPCC Chief.

AICC General Secretary and Odisha in-charge B K Hariprasad was also present with the three-member team of observers.

In the second phase the observers will meet office bearers and leaders of OPCC.

Meanwhile, all the 16 Congress Legislators in the state, party sources said, in a crucial move have decided unanimously to meet the observers in their capacity only as law makers and not as district presidents. Some legislators also hold simultaneous posts of district presidents.

The move holds significance in the wake of the ‘Dislodge Prasad Harichandan’ campaign launched by the law makers. Earlier, whispers were doing round the corridors of Congress Bhawan here that there was an attempt by the Prasad camp  to create wedge among the MLAs by tagging those MLAs who are district presidents as well.

Congress sources said there were murmurs among some MLAs owing to B K Hariprasad’s presence in the meetings since their other demand included the ouster of the Congress General Secretary from the post of Odisha in-charge since he is perceived to be too close to present PCC chief Prasad Harichandan.

The three-member team has been asked to submit their report to the AICC chief Sonia Gandhi after returning to New Delhi.