Party sources said that restructuring of the Congress' state units was on the cards ever since Rahul Gandhi took charge as party chief.
In a significant reshuffle, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday appointed Mallikarjun Kharge as the party's general secretary in-charge for Maharashtra in place of Mohan Prakash who was looking after the state for nearly a decade.
The party also removed Shyoraj Jivan Valmiki and Bala Bachchan as secretaries for Maharashtra. Kharge will be having Sonal Patel from Gujarat, Ashish Dua from Haryana and Sampath Kumar from Telangana as new secretaries to take on the responsibility for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the state.
Recent opinion polls have shown that the Congress is still behind the BJP in popularity in Maharashtra.
The party insiders are looking at it party's effort to make thrust in the weaker section of the state where Dalit movement has been on the upswing. Veteran parliamentarian Kharge, a Dalit, is the leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha and is known for his attacking style of functioning.
The party appreciates the hard work and contribution of Mohan Prakash who will be stepping down from his responsibilities as the General Secretary and AICC in-charge of Maharashtra, AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot said in a statement. Prakash is yet to be given a new responsibility. Prakash said that he was ready to play whatever role the party offered him.
Party sources said that restructuring of the Congress' state units was on the cards ever since Rahul Gandhi took charge as party chief.
"Maharashtra is an important state since it sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha, second only to Uttar Pradesh (80 seats).Therefore, Kharge's appointment shows the seriousness with which the party looks at the state," party sources said.
They added that Kharge, who hails from Karnataka, understands Maharashtra very well.
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ashok Chavan welcomed the appointment of Kharge.
Chavan said Kharge has handled state responsibilities for the party during the 2014 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls and was well acquainted with state politics.
"He is an experienced and senior leader. Kharge's experience will be useful to strengthen the Congress in Maharashtra," Chavan said.
The AICC also constituted new screening committees for the poll bound states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Odisha. Kumari Selja has been made the chairperson of Rajasthan, Madhusudan Mistry for MP, Bhubansewar Kalita for Chhattisgarh, V D Satheesan for Odisha and Luizinho Falerioa for Mizoram.
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