Congress appoints Sachin Pilot in top role amid major reshuffle ahead of LS polls

This marks a strategic move in Congress's organisational restructuring in anticipation of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

As part of this reshuffle, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been replaced as the party's in-charge for Uttar Pradesh.

Although Priyanka Gandhi Vadra retains the position of General Secretary within the party, she no longer holds a specific portfolio, the party said.

Avinash Pandey has taken over her responsibilities in the state.

Sachin Pilot's appointment is seen as an effort to address the concerns of the leader, who has been advocating for a more significant role within the party.

In 2020, Sachin Pilot's discontent with the leadership in Rajasthan posed a potential threat to the Congress in the state, as the Deputy Chief Minister at the time led a rebellion against Ashok Gehlot, risking the stability of the government.

Following a period of deadlock, during which Pilot relocated to a resort in Haryana accompanied by his loyal MLAs, the Congress leadership successfully assuaged him.

Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka provided assurances to Pilot that his concerns would be taken into consideration.

Though the Congress managed to retain power in Rajasthan, the internal discord between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot escalated.

Despite the party's attempts to present a unified front, it proved unsuccessful in maintaining control of Rajasthan in the current year.

After a dismal performance in three key states, the party decided to retain the leaders in charge of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

However, in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress replaced former Chief Minister Kamal Nath with OBC leader Jitu Patwari as the state unit chief.

Furthermore, several appointments were made in different states: Mukul Wasnik was assigned Gujarat, Jitendra Singh took on Assam with an additional charge of Madhya Pradesh, Randeep Surjewala was appointed for Karnataka, Kumari Selja for Uttarakhand, and Deepa Dasmunshi was given responsibilities for Kerala, Lakshadweep, and an additional charge of Telangana.

In Bihar, the party appointed Mohan Prakash as the state in-charge. Mr. Prakash, known for his close ties with both Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar, is a socialist with a background in the Janata Dal.

These appointments were made two days after a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party, chaired by Mallikarjun Kharge, the party chief.

The meeting was attended by senior leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.