Gujarat: Jignesh Mevani Among Seven New Working Presidents Appointed By Congress

The appointments come ahead of Gujarat Assembly elections and a month after Patidar leader Hardik Patel joined the BJP.

Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani

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Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani was among seven new working presidents appointed by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Thursday in the party's Gujarat unit. The development comes ahead of Gujarat Assembly elections and a month after Patidar leader Hardik Patel joined the BJP.

"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," Congress said in a statement.

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

On June 3, in a massive setback to the Congress, Hardik Patel joined the BJP within days of resigning from the grand old party. In a letter to Sonia Gandhi, Hardik Patel claimed that the Congress "only played to the role of a roadblock" over certain key issues in the country and was "merely reduced to opposing everything".

The Congress also announced the appointment of Priyank Kharge as chairman of the communications and social media unit of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. Kharge is the son of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

Party leader Mansoor Ali Khan has been appointed co-chairman of communications department. MLC Dinesh Guligowda and former MLC Ramesh Babu have been appointed as vice chairmen of communications in Karnataka.

Nagraj Yadav, MLC, has been made the chief spokesperson-cum-convener (communications) in Karnataka, which goes to polls next year.

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

"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.

(With inputs from PTI)