Rajasthan minister Raghu Sharma appointed AICC in-charge of poll-bound Gujarat

Health minister of Rajasthan Raghu Sharma is the new AICC in-charge of the poll-bound Gujarat. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Thursday night appointed him, marking Sharma's maiden outing at AICC and thus belying weeks of speculation that some high-profile party leaders, including Sachin Pilot, were being considered for the Gujarat assignment.

Sharma's pick, which would require the appointment of a new health minister in Rajasthan, also comes ahead of the upcoming cabinet rejig of the Ashok Gehlot government. Sharma, who was once close to Pilot is known to have switched loyalty to CM Gehlot after the last Rajasthan poll.

Gehlot himself had been the AICC general secretary in-charge of Gujrat during the closely fought 2017 assembly polls in the state. The Congress leadership is also slated to appoint a few more AICC in-charges, including for Punjab and West Bengal.