In the wake of impending 2019 lok Sabha polls, Opposition Congress party under the leadership of new president Rahul Gandhi is systematically increasing Gujarat representation in All India Congress Committee (AICC) to counter poll strategies of the ruling BJP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah — both hailing from Gujarat — would hold immense sway over poll strategies for the saffron brigade. This is the reason why Congress leadership has decided to give more representation to Gujarat-based Congress leaders in the party’s national organisatinal body to unfold Modi-Shah duo’s game plan for the upcoming lok Sabha polls.
Recently, Gujarat Congress leader Himanshu Vyas has been appointed as secretary of AlCC. Vyas has been taken in with a specific purpose of coordinating with Non-resident Indians (NRI. He would look after the party’s NRI wing. Vyas is close to Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, better known as Sam Pitroda, who was very close to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and played instrumental role in India’s telecom revolution.
Already Ahmed Patel is playing an extremely important role in the Congress Working Committee (CWC). Immediately after Rahul Gandhi took the rein of the party, former leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly as well as ex- Gujarat Minister Shaktisinh Gohil was made incharge of Bihar. Similarly, he appointed another Gujarat Congress leader Deepak Babaria general secretary and also given him responsibility of Madhya Pradesh as incharge of the State.
Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) spokesman Manish Doshi too was given charge of ‘Pratibha Khoj Abhiyan’ — a talent hunt campaign of the party in Madhya Pradesh. GPCC leader lalji Desai too was given important position as organisational chief of Seva Dal — the grassroots front organisation of the Congress party.
Desai, who belongs to Rabari (shepherd) community, is well known in Gujarat for protesting against BJP ruled Government in Gujarat for its alleged allotment of grasslands to industrial houses. Moreover, he hails from North Gujarat, the regions from where Modi-Shah duo also belong.
Incumbent Rajya Sabha member Madhusudan Mistry has been given important position in the party’s training and coordination affairs. Ahead of the Karnataka elections, Mistry chaired Congress party’s screening committee. He is giving similar responsibity for Madhya Pradesh also in view of upcoming Assembly polls there.
Sources in GPCC said that the party high command would give responsibilities to few more Gujarat Congress leaders keeping in mind 2019 lok Sabha polls as well as Assembly elections in MP, Chhatisgarh and Rajasthan.