Initiating a reshuffle in its leadership, Congress on Friday appointed Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil as the president of the Gujarat state unit and tasked former Chief Minister and Lok Sabha MP V Vaithilingam to head the Puducherry unit. Maharashtra MLA Varsha Gaikwad has been appointed as the new Mumbai Congress president.
A party statement said Gohil, who was also former Leader of Opposition in Gujarat, has been relieved as the in-charge of Haryana and Delhi and in his place Deepak Babaria has been appointed. Gohil has replaced Jagdish Thakor.
Thakor's replacement comes as the Congress has sunk into its lowest tally in the Gujarat Assembly elections. Thakor had submitted his resignation soon after the poll debacle.
Gohil has an uphill task to lift the morale of party workers in Gujarat where it also has a new opponent in AAP. An experienced leader who knows ground level workers, his full-time presence in Gujarat is also important for the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Vaithilingam succeeded A V Subramanian while Gaikwad would succeed Bhai Jagtap as the head of Mumbai RCC (Regional Congress Committee).
Keeping elections in Telangana in mind, the Congress leadership has brought in two new secretaries in the state.
Karnataka leader Mansoor Ali Khan has been appointed as AICC Secretary and attached with Congress in-charge Manikrao Thakre.
Kerala MLA PC Vishnunadh, an AICC Secretary presently attached with Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala, has been now moved to Thakre's team.
The leadership has relieved NS Boseraju, who has been made a minister in Karnataka, and UP MLA Nadeem Javed as AICC Secretaries and from their responsibilities in Telangana.