- BK Hariprasad named Karnataka Congress president after DK Shivakumar's appointment as Chief Minister
- Congress plans major reshuffle in over six states, focusing on poll-bound regions
- Punjab Congress may change president to balance caste dynamics and attract voters
Following the appointment of DK Shivakumar as Chief Minister of Karnataka, the Congress leadership has named BK Hariprasad as the state Congress president. According to party sources, a major nationwide reshuffle within the Congress organisation is now expected.
Preparations are underway to replace in-charges and state presidents in more than half a dozen states. Last week, Rahul Gandhi held a meeting with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Organisation General Secretary KC Venugopal to discuss the changes. This is expected to be the last major reshuffle of Kharge's tenure as Congress president.
Focus On Poll-Bound States
Congress is concentrating primarily on states where assembly elections are due early next year. Polls are scheduled in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur. Elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are expected at the end of next year. Except in Punjab, Congress is in direct contest with the BJP in all these states.
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The party is currently in power in Himachal Pradesh.
The Congress high command is considering a change in the state president in Punjab. Although Punjab Congress in-charge Bhupesh Baghel has repeatedly said there will be no change, both state president Amrinder Singh Brar and legislative party leader Pratap Singh Bajwa belong to the same caste (Jat Sikh).
The Congress on Wednesday said that the induction of 13 ministers into the new Karnataka Cabinet, led by newly sworn-in Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, reflects a "good balance" of representation from various sections of society.
Photo Credit: IANS
As a result, the party feels compelled to make adjustments. Vijay Inder Singla, the party's national co-treasurer, is a leading contender for the state president's post. He is seen as the "Hindu face" of Congress in Punjab. On the other hand, a large section of state leaders is lobbying for former Chief Minister and MP Charanjit Singh Channi in a bid to woo Dalit voters.
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In Punjab, the main opposition party, Congress, faces the Aam Aadmi Party government along with challenges from the BJP and the Akali Dal.
In Uttar Pradesh, Congress is allied with the Samajwadi Party in an effort to prevent the Yogi Adityanath government from securing a third term. Changes are considered necessary in the UP Congress unit because the state-in-charge Avinash Pandey, state president Ajay Rai and legislative party leader Aradhana Mishra all belong to upper castes.
With the party aiming to attract Dalit voters, it is widely believed that a Dalit leader will be appointed as either the in-charge or state president in Uttar Pradesh.
AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi during the 35th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, at Vir Bhumi, in New Delhi.
Photo Credit: ANI
However, a similar attempt to appoint a Dalit state president in neighbouring Bihar just before elections did not succeed.
In the election-bound state of Goa, Congress has recently appointed Girish Chodankar as the state unit president. He was previously in charge of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, meaning new in-charges will need to be there as well. Sources say a new state president will also be named in each of these states.
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Congress appointed a new state president in Manipur in February this year and in Uttarakhand in November last year.
Besides Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, changes are also expected in states that recently held assembly elections, including Kerala, Assam and Bengal. Kerala state president Sunny Joseph has become a minister in the state government, while Maharashtra Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala has been appointed a minister in the new Kerala government. This creates the need for a new state president in Kerala and a new in-charge in Maharashtra.
Following a heavy defeat in the assembly elections, Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh has resigned. Bengal in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir may also be replaced. Congress also suffered a major defeat in the Bihar assembly elections held late last year, and sources say major organisational changes are planned there as well.
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According to sources, Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa is also on the list for changes. Delhi in-charge Qazi Nizamuddin is an MLA from Uttarakhand, where elections are due, and the party may relieve him of his additional responsibilities. Congress General Secretary Sachin Pilot is expected to be given charge of a larger state in place of Chhattisgarh. Mukul Wasnik may be assigned to another state instead of Gujarat, while Rajni Patil could be relieved of responsibilities in Himachal Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh in-charge Manickam Tagore may also be given new responsibilities.
BK Hariprasad, who has been appointed Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, was previously the Congress in-charge of Haryana. A new in-charge will therefore be appointed for Haryana as well.
Overall, there is scope for significant changes in the Congress organisation from the national to the state level. It is unclear whether these announcements will be made separately, in a piecemeal fashion or rolled out one by one.
Focus On Priyanka Gandhi And KC Venugopal
The greatest interest within the party surrounds KC Venugopal, who has been the Organisation General Secretary for the past seven years. Sources believe he will not face further repercussions so soon after not being made Chief Minister of Kerala, despite enjoying the support of a majority of MLAs.
General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi has not held any direct organisational responsibility for the past two and a half years. It is unclear whether she will be given any major role in the upcoming reshuffle. This reshuffle is expected to be the last major exercise under Mallikarjun Kharge's leadership. His term as Congress president ends at the end of next year. Sources indicate that the proposed changes are being carried out with the next Lok Sabha elections in mind.
