Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday cleared the name of Raghu Sharma as the party's candidate for the by-poll to the Ajmer Lok Sabha seat that fell vacant after the death of BJP’s Sanwar Lal Jat, who had won the seat in 2014.
A former MLA from Rajasthan, Mr. Sharma has served as chief whip of the party in the Rajasthan Assembly in the past.
During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Ajmer witnessed a high-profile contest between former minister Sachin Pilot, who now heads the Congress in Rajasthan and the late Jat leader.
The decision on the Ajmer seat comes just a day after Mr. Gandhi decided that Congress chiefs of all State units will continue in their posts.
Amid intense speculateons that Mr. Gandhi’s takeover as the Congress president last month would bring about widespread organisational changes, Saturday’s decision seems to have signalled a more gradual approach.
"Congress president Rahul Gandhi has taken a decision that the presidents of all Pradesh Congress Committees, Regional Congress Committees and Territorial Congress Committees will continue in their posts after the organisational election also, unless some decision is taken to replace them,” the party had said in a formal release on Saturday.
For months now, there has been consistent talk about States like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha getting new party chiefs soon after Mr. Gandhi’s elevation as the party chief. These States may now get new chiefs only when there is an AICC session to formally ratify Mr. Gandhi’s election.
Though there has been no official word about the AICC session there is talk of it taking place by next month either in Punjab where the party is in power or election-bound Karnataka.
Election preparation
The Congress also seems to be gearing up for the next round of elections after revamping the organisation in election-bound States of the North East.
Mr. Gandhi approved the formation of several committees in Chhattisgarh including an election campaign panel for the State where election is scheduled later this year.
State party chief Bhupesh Baghel will be assisted by Ram Dayal Uike and Shiv Kumar Dhahariya as working presidents.
Congress Legislature Party leader T. S. Singdeo will head the Election Manifesto Committee while former MP Charandas Mahant will head the Election Campaign Committee.
Party leader Ravindra Choube has been made chief of the Planning and Strategy Committee while Ramgopal Agrawal will be in charge of the Election Publicity Committee. The party also constituted a disciplinary committee and communication department.
The appointments, made several months before the Assembly polls, are aimed at making an early start in a State where the Congress has lost successive elections.
