Utkal Congress: Difference between revisions

'''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 [[Biswanath Das]] ministry in the state. In 1974 Utkal Congress merged into [[Bharatiya Lok Dal]].

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 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 | series=Indian Political System: Trends and Challenges | 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 Biswanath 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 Lagislature 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 Lagislature 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 | 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>