Patnaik may either be sent as president of the state unit of the party or head a co-ordination committee to over-see the functioning of the government and the organisation. Alternatively, he may be given a responsibility in the organisation here.

Since both, the newly appointed Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang and the PCC president Biswal, are tribals, it is felt that Patnaik should be sent to the state as PCC chief to strengthen the party before the Lok Sabha elections.

The AICC establishment is worried over reports of Patnaik deserting the party if he was not rehabilitated even after getting a clean chit from the CBI. Patnaik's son-in-law has already joined the Nationalist Congress Party ofSharad Pawar.

Since the split in the Biju Janata Dal led by Naveen Patnaik has not materialised as was expected and the Janata Dal led by Sharad Yadav is holding talks with the BJD for a possible tie-up in the state, the Congress finds itself in a precarious situation.

Patnaik had been removed at the instance of Congress president Sonia Gandhi after an allegation was levelled by Anjana Mishra, a divorcee, that the Chief Minister had hatched a conspiracy to organise a rape on her. Sonia Gandhi was also upset with Patnaik after the brutal Staines' murder, the rape of nuns and the murder of another Christian girl.

However, the CBI found no truth in the allegation of conspiracy in the Anjana Mishra rape case against Patnaik while filing charge sheets.

It has also been established that Staines' murder was organised by the Bajrang Dal and could not be construed as failure of Patnaik's government. With regard to the allegation of rape on the nuns, it is now discovered that the rape never took place. Anotherallegation of atrocities on Christians which proved costly to Patnaik was the rape and murder of a girl. Later, it was discovered that the rape and murder had been committed by girl's uncle belonging to her own community and could not be construed as part of planned atrocities on Christians.