The Hindu : New Delhi News : State leaders get crucial posts in AICC revamp

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Wednesday, Sep 26, 2007
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New Delhi

State leaders get crucial posts in AICC revamp

Special Correspondent

Veerappa Moily made in-charge of media department
Margaret Alva nominated to manifesto panel

NEW DELHI: The revamp of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) setup on Monday is of considerable interest to Karnataka.

While Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chavan has been made in-charge of party affairs in the State, several leaders from Karnataka have been entrusted with new responsibilities.

The profile of the former Chief Minister and Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission Veerappa Moily got a major boost. He has been named head of the crucial Media Department, an assignment that enables him to become the voice of the party. Besides, he has been given charge of the key States of Andhra Pradesh and Assam and the Department of Policy Planning and Coordination.

A permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee, Mr. Moily has been made a member of the newly formed group to look into future challenges and the manifesto committee. He has been appointed member of the publicity and publication committee.

Veteran party leader from Karnataka Margaret Alva has been made in-charge of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, apart from Maharashtra. Ms. Alva, who heads the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training, is a member of the new manifesto committee of the party.

Similarly, B.K. Hari Prasad has been given additional charge of Goa, along with Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. The former Union Minister C.K. Jaffer Sharief has been retained as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee. The appointment of Mr. Chavan suggests that the party wants to introduce a new perspective on how to go about in the State, given the political uncertainties. As per the agreement reached at the time of the formation of the Janata Dal (Secular)- Bharatiya Janata Party coalition Government in the State, the Janata Dal (S) leader and Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy has to step down and pass on the reins to BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on October 3. But, there is uncertainty about it. There are reports that the Janata Dal (S) had been trying to snap ties with the BJP and forge a new alliance with the Congress. A trained engineer in the U.S., Mr. Chavan belongs to a family that has found a berth in Parliament for over four decades. He was brought into politics by the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. While being made in-charge of Karnataka, Mr. Chavan has been made general secretary of the party for the first time in his career. He will be in charge of party affairs in Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Tripura too.

Moily for Russia

Bangalore Special Correspondent writes:

Mr. Moily, Ms. Alva and MP from Andhra Pradesh Harshakumar will attend the eighth annual conference of the United Russian Party in Moscow from October 2 for three days. Mr. Moily told The Hindu that “fraternal delegation” had been picked by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The delegation would observe the proceedings of the conference.

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