Congress appoints four working presidents in Gujarat ahead of assembly polls

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday appointed four working presidents for the state unit as part of a careful social balancing act ahead of Gujarat assembly elections in December.

This follows the leadership announcing constitution of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) office-bearers and PCC election committee as part of the efforts for lining up the state Congress team for the elections.

According to the list cleared by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the newly-appointed working presidents of Gujarat PCC are Tushar Chaudhary, a tribal leader and son of former chief minister Amarsingh Chaudhary, Patel leader Paresh Dhanavi, Patel leader Kuwarji Bawaliya, who belongs to OBC and Karsan Das Sonali, a Dalit leader. They also represent the four regions of the state. PCC chief Bharatsinh Solanki is a Khastriya.


The Congress also constituted a 32-member state election committee comprising almost all senior leaders of the state party. The announcement came a day after the party announced a fresh set of PCC office-bearers comprising 10 PCC vice-presidents, 15 general secretaries and seven spokespersons.

Interestingly, Satyajit Gaikwad, a once rising leader in the central leadership, who had become Youth Congress national president and then AICC secretary with independent charge of J&K and Himachal Pradesh in early 2000, has been brought back as a PCC vice-president after having been mysteriously sidelined for 13 long years.