The Congress recently effected an organisational reshuffle. Here’s a brief profile of those who have got new roles:
Ashok Gehlot
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has replaced Congress veteran Janardhan Dwivedi as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of organisation and training.
This is Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s first appointment for the party’s general secretary post after he announced the reorganisation of Congress at the party’s plenary session earlier this month, as was reported by the PTI.
Earlier, Mr. Gehlot was made the AICC general secretary in charge of Gujarat in 2017, ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls in 2017. Mr. Gehlot started his political career with the National Students Union of India, back in the 1970s. His was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from the Jodhpur constituency.
Mr. Dwivedi, according to PTI, held the post for over two decades. He had earlier also headed the party’s communication wing for several years and has been part of several key decisions of the Congress.
Amit Chavda
Three-time MLA Amit Chavda has replaced former MP Bharatsinh Solanki as Gujarat INC president.
The 35-year-old is a chemical engineering graduate.
Rajeev Satav
This MP from Hingoli, Maharashtra, has been appointed as the party general secretary in charge of Gujarat. Before the promotion, he was the general secretary in charge of the Saurashtra region under Mr. Gehlot.
However, according to PTI, the party communication on Gujarat did not specify if Mr. Satav has replaced Mr. Gehlot. Sources, as per the news agency's article, said Mr. Gehlot was entrusted the responsibility ahead of the Gujarat polls, as was done during Punjab elections, but would continue to be a party general secretary, reported PTI.
The 43-year-old Mr. Satav started out as a member of the block panchayat in Hingoli in 2002. He was the president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress and the Indian Youth Congress before being elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014.
Jitendra Singh
Jitendra Singh has been appointed in-charge of Odisha, replacing Rajya Sabha MP B. K. Hariprasad.
Mr. Singh was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009 from Alwar, Rajasthan, and was the Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent charge) and Minister of State for Defence, Government of India under the Manmohan Singh government from 2012 to 2014.
Mr. Singh was first elected to the Rajasthan Assembly from Alwar in 1998.
Chandan Yadav
Chandan Yadav has been appointed the party’s secretary for Chhattisgarh, which is due for assembly elections later in 2018. He has replaced former Madhya Pradesh MLA Kamleshwar Patel. Mr. Yadav is a PhD scholar from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, and is a spokesperson for the party.
Yashomati Thakur
Yashomati Thakur, a two-time MLA from Teosa, Maharashtra, has been appointed as Secretary, AICC, and has been attached to K.C Venugopal, the AICC general secretary in charge for Karnataka. Prior to her political career, Ms. Thakur was an advocate.
Lalji Desai
Lalji Desai, activist, has been appointed the chief organiser of the All India Congress Seva Dal, the grassroots organisation of the party, replacing Mehendra Joshi.
Mr. Desai’s Jameen Adhikar Andolan Gujarat (JAAG) was one of the organisations that spearheaded the protest against the government’s decision to set up a auto hub in the Mandal-Becharaji corridor in Gujarat.
Tamradhwaj Sahu
Congress MP from Durg, Chhattisgarh, Tamradhwaj Sahu, has been appointed as the chairman of the party’s OBC department. He replaces former Rajya Sabha MP K.C. Lenka. Notably, Mr. Sahu defeated Saroj Pandey, the BJP Mahila Morcha chief, in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
Nitin Raut
This three-time MLA from Nagpur, Madhya Pradesh, has been appointed as the chairman of the Congress’ SC department, in place of IAS-officer-turned politician K. Raju.
Mr. Raut was the Minister of Animal Husbandry and Minister of Employment Guarantee and Water Conservation in the Maharashtra government from 2009 to 2014.
