Cong. Plans Big PCC, AICC Shake-up
NEW DELHI: Congress is preparing for a new round of changes in its leadership structure as part of a wide-ranging organizational overhaul. Reshuffles are expected in at least half a dozen Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) and a majority of AICC secretaries, general secretaries and state officials in the coming days.
The exercise is intended to fill gaps left by resignations, electoral failures and organizational adjustments.
According to party sources, the issue was recently discussed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal. The immediate priority is to strengthen state leadership in poll-bound states before finalizing changes among AICC general secretaries and state officials.
The Congress is focusing on Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur, where Assembly elections will be held early next year, followed by Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in late 2027. Except for Punjab, where it is pitted against the Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress is locked in a direct contest with the BJP in these states. The party is currently in power in Himachal Pradesh.
Sources said Punjab is among the states where a change in the Pradesh Congress Committee president is being actively considered. The leadership is reviewing the organizational structure of the state after several rounds of consultations.
Political speculations are also gaining momentum in Rajasthan, where PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra will complete six years in office next month. Party leaders said discussions on leadership change have intensified in recent weeks, with former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, now in charge of Chhattisgarh, emerging as the frontrunner in internal discussions and social media campaigns. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, the head of Rajasthan, is expected to change his position as elections approach in Punjab. If Pilot is made RPCC chief, the post in-charge of Chhattisgarh will become vacant.
Caste representation has become an important issue in Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress has formed an alliance with the Samajwadi Party against the BJP. Until recently, state in-charge Avinash Pande, PCC chief Ajay Rai and Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra all belonged to the upper castes. Pande was replaced by Dalit leader Rajendra Pal Gautam on Friday. Party insiders said the leadership is considering appointing an OBC leader as PCC president or some other key organizational post to expand voter reach.
More leadership changes are also being considered in the Delhi and Madhya Pradesh units. Party sources said the leadership is considering elevating some state unit heads to key national roles while identifying new faces to head key state units.
Apart from the changes in the state leadership, the Congress is also expected to reshuffle a large number of AICC general secretaries and state officials. Delhi in-charge Qazi Nizamuddin may be relieved of his organizational responsibilities to focus on Uttarakhand, Mukul Wasnik may be shifted from Gujarat and Rajni Patil from Himachal Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh in-charge Manickam Tagore was appointed as the Tamil Nadu Congress chief on Saturday.
The latest application follows a number of vacancies created in recent months. Party insiders said the leadership was also reviewing the performance of in-charges in states where infighting with state units continues.
