In a significant reshuffle ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party has removed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from her role as the party in-charge in Uttar Pradesh. Priyanka Gandhi will, however, continue to serve as the party's general secretary without a specific portfolio. Avinash Pande has been appointed as the new in-charge of Uttar Pradesh.
Sachin Pilot, former Rajasthan deputy Chief Minister, has been assigned the role of in-charge of Chhattisgarh Congress, while Ramesh Chennithala, a senior leader from Kerala, has been named in-charge of Maharashtra.
The organizational changes come two days after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by senior leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, KC Venugopal, and others.
The move to relieve Priyanka Gandhi of her responsibilities in Uttar Pradesh is seen amid speculation that the opposition bloc INDIA may field a strong candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi in the upcoming general elections. Some leaders within the INDIA bloc had suggested fielding Priyanka Gandhi against PM Modi, echoing a similar demand in 2019.
Several other key appointments were announced, including Sachin Pilot taking charge of Chhattisgarh, Ramesh Chennithala in Maharashtra, and Avinash Pande in Uttar Pradesh. The changes reflect the party's strategic positioning as it gears up for the crucial 2024 elections.
(With Agency Inputs)
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