Ahead of assembly polls, Congress appoints seven new working presidents in Gujarat

Ahead of assembly elections in Gujarat, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday appointed seven new working presidents in the party's state unit. "The Congress president has approved the proposal of the appointment of working presidents of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect. They are Lalit Kagathara, MLA, Jignesh Mevani, MLA, Rutvik Makwana, MLA, Ambarish J Der, MLA, Himmatsingh Patel, MLA, Kadir Pirzada and Indravijaysinh Gohil," according to a party statement.

Assembly elections are expected to be held in Gujarat in November-December this year.

In another communication, the party announced the appointment of Priyank Kharge as chairman of the Communications and Social Media unit of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect. Kharge is the son of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge. He is a legislator in Karnataka.


Party leader Mansoor Ali Khan has been appointed Co-chairman Communications, while Dinesh Guligowda, MLC, and Ramesh Babu, ex-MLC, have been appointed as vice chairmen of Communications in Karnataka.

Nagraj Yadav, MLC, has been made the chief spokesperson-cum-convener (communications) in the southern state.

Lavanya Ballal, Kavitha Reddy, Nagalakshmi and Aishwarya Mahadev have been appointed as spokesperson cum general secretary, communications, in Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.

"The AICC has approved the appointment of Sasikanth Senthil as chairman of the war-room of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee for the upcoming assembly elections, with immediate effect. Sunil Kanugolu will remain the overall incharge," said another communication from the party.

Suraj Hegde, vice president, KPCC and Mehroz Khan, general secretary, KPCC, will coordinate the day-to-day activities of the war room, it also said.

Karnataka will go to polls next year and the Congress is seeking to wrest power from the BJP.