Bhubaneswar: The Congress party has formed a 26-member election management committee for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Odisha.

Former Minister and Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president, Prasad Harichandan, has been appointed as the chairman of the poll management committee, said a press release issued by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) today.

Senior Congress leaders Niranjan Patnaik, Jaydev Jena, Bhakta Charan Das, Srikanta Jena, Bijay Kumar Patnaik and Panchanan Kanungo have been included in the committee.

Congress leaders Rama Chandra Khuntia, Jagannath Patnaik, Navjyoti Patnaik, Manas Choudhury and Bandita Parida have also been made members of the panel.

Manoranjan Das is the convenor of the committee while Bankanidhi Behera and Vikash Garabadu are the joint convenors of the panel.

All former presidents of OPCC and leaders of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Odisha, all functionaries deputed to Odisha from AICC, the chiefs of all frontal organisations and cells of the Congress and the chiefs of Congress war room, media and communication department and social media are the ex-officio members of the poll management panel for Odisha.