Making large-scale changes in the organisation, Congress president Sonia Gandhi retained Ahmed Patel as her political secretary but significantly made Ambika Soni as general secretary in charge of the Congress president’s office.
Soni was the political secretary before Patel replaced her nearly a decade ago. Soni had also held this charge earlier.
The replacement of Madhya Pradesh veteran Digvijaya Singh with Madhusudan Mistry as general secretary incharge for Uttar Pradesh too indicates where the trust of the Congress vice-president now rests. Mistry managed party’s campaign in Karnataka at the behest of Gandhi, coming trumps in the assembly polls. Digvijaya Singh will look after Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa.
Other general secretaries who were dropped included Vilas Muttamwar and Birender Singh. Among the incharges of various states who failed to get renomination were Jagmeet Singh Brar, Jagdish Tytler and Gulchain Singh Charak.
With Lok Sabha polls less than a year away, Maken has been entrusted with the newly-created Communication, Publicity and Publication wing which will now include the media department of the party. The media department was being handled for the last six years by Janardan Dwivedi. As chairman of the screening committee for selections of candidates in Rajasthan, Maken would have a challenging role in maintaining a balance between powerful factions in the state. Among the 42 secretaries are several functionaries who have been given opportunity for the first time.
Priya Dutt will be assisting Maken as secretary. However, contrary to media forecasts, Maken, who doesn’t enjoy even a working relation with Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, has been made to steer clear of the national Capital, which goes to the polls in winters this year.
The reshuffle in the party is likely to be followed by a rejig in the union cabinet. Maken had resigned on Saturday night as minister for housing and urban poverty alleviation.
CP Joshi, minister for road transport and highways who had the additional portfolio of railways, also tendered his resignation on Sunday setting the ball rolling for a reshuffle in the union cabinet.