The Congress party has made significant changes in its organizational structure. Randeep Surjewala has been appointed as the general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh, while Mukul Wasnik will take charge of Gujarat. Ajay Rai has been chosen as the President of the Uttar Pradesh Congress, replacing Dalit Brijlal Khabri. Surjewala replaces JP Aggarwal in Madhya Pradesh, and Wasnik takes over from Raghu Sharma in Rajasthan. These changes come after the Congress party’s defeat in the recent Gujarat state elections, leading to Sharma’s resignation.
Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to hold assembly elections later this year, making Surjewala’s appointment crucial. Additionally, the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year will be significant for both Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, which have direct contests between the BJP and the Congress. Ajay Rai’s selection as the President of Uttar Pradesh Congress is important, given his past campaigns against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Varanasi constituency during the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, although he was unsuccessful in both.
Following Bihar and Jharkhand, the Congress has entrusted Ajay Rai, who belongs to the Bhumihar caste, with the responsibility of being the state president in Uttar Pradesh. The Bhumihar caste is a significant vote bank for the BJP, especially in these three states. By appointing Rai, the Congress aims to make inroads into this vote bank and challenge the BJP’s dominance.
