AICC disciplinary panel: Azad, Shinde dropped; Antony retained as Chief

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday dropped senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sushil Kumar Shinde and Mukut Mithi from the reconstituted AICC disciplinary committee, even as she retained veteran AK Antony as chairman of the key party panel. AICC general secretary Tariq Anwar and CWC member Ambika Soni are among the new entrants.

Azad's removal from the committee, which looks into the complaints of violations of party discipline by Congress persons, isn't surprising as he is the leading light of the 23 leaders who wrote a joint letter last year asking Gandhi to take organisational reforms, a move dubbed as rebellion by the Gandhi family loyalists. Azad was subsequently dropped as AICC general secretary. His exit from the disciplinary committee coincides with his many supporters in J&K raising the banner of revolt by quitting party posts.

JP Aggarwal and D Parameswar too have been made members of the new disciplinary committee. The committee had a vacancy due to the death of party veteran Motilal Vora. Antony has been heading this important AICC committee for many years now.