Congress is expected to undertake a nationwide organisational reshuffle with an eye on states that will go to polls next year, sources said. Plans are in place to replace state in-charges and party presidents in more than half a dozen states.
The exercise gathered momentum after a meeting last week between Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal, during which the proposed changes were discussed.
Party insiders believe this could be the final major reshuffle during Kharge’s tenure as Congress president.
Eye on upcoming elections
The party’s focus is largely on states heading to assembly elections next year. Polls are scheduled in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur, making organisational preparedness a key priority.
Congress is also keeping an eye on electoral battles in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, where assembly elections are expected towards the end of next year. Except in Punjab, the party is likely to face a direct contest with the Bharatiya Janata Party in all these states.
A leadership change is also likely in Rajasthan, where the term of the incumbent state president has concluded. Sources indicate that Sachin Pilot is leading the race to become the next Rajasthan Congress chief.
In Delhi, the tenure of the current Pradesh Congress Committee president is set to end soon, with senior leader Abhishek Dutt emerging as the frontrunner for the post, according to party sources.
Apart from Delhi and Rajasthan, organisational changes are also expected in Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Punjab as part of the party’s broader restructuring exercise.
