Jaipur: A crushing defeat at the hands of the resurgent BJP has forced Congress in Rajasthan to go for a major reshuffle in the organisational setup just like the party is looking to overhaul its units in Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.
According to sources, the party faces an uphill task to keep its flock together and regroup ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha polls slated next year. There are high chances of the party's retaining Govind Singh Dotasara as PCC Chief till the Lok Sabha polls. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs have also been changed in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, while deliberations are on to choose the Leader of the Opposition.
The party's top brass has asked leaders and cadres to gear up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in their recent help review meeting. They are expected to reveal the name of the Leader of the Opposition soon. Sources said the Congress's central leadership wants the party to work diligently to select the right faces for the post of the Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the whip of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP).
The Congress has appointed Jitu Patwari as the state president in Madhya Pradesh, while CLP leaders Umang Singar and Hemant Katare have been made deputy CLP leaders. In Chhattisgarh, Charan Das Mahant has been appointed CLP leader, while Deepak Baij remains the state president.
Keeping in mind the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, performance and equation, five names have caught the attention of the party in Rajasthan. They are former state president Sachin Pilot, PCC Chief Govind Singh Dotasara, senior leader and tribal face Mahendrajit Singh Malviya, senior party leader Narendra Budania who defeated veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajendra Rathod in the elections, and Punjab in-charge Harish Chaudhary.
Senior leader Jat leader Harendra Mirdha's name is also in the pipeline. If a Jat is appointed as the Leader of the Opposition, the PCC Chief will be made from another class.
Post the review meeting, senior leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa opined that the Congress high command will decide soon and clear the picture.
Talks are also doing the rounds that by appointing Sangaria MLA Abhimanyu Poonia as president of the Youth Congres in Rajasthan, the high command has favoured Pilot over the Gehlot group.
In the recent Assembly elections, BJP selected a Brahmin face and made Bhajanlal Sharma the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, to get the Brahmin backing in the state. As per sources, Congress is expected to follow the path and also choose an upper cast face ahead of the upcoming polls.
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