NEW DELHI: The new appointments, approved by Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday, include 12 women and feature both returning and new leaders.
After months of deliberation, the Congress party has released the list of 75 secretaries and joint secretaries. This decision aligns with the promises made during the party’s ‘Udaipur Chintan Shivir’ held in May 2022, which pledged to include “50 under 50 years” and introduce a blend of fresh faces with experience.
The new appointments include 12 women, reflecting the leadership of Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge approved these appointments on Friday. While many current leaders retained their positions, several new faces have joined the team.
According to Congress sources, Kharge was keen to implement the Udaipur Nav Sankalp Shivir resolution by ensuring representation for SC, ST, and OBC communities in the new appointments. Over 60 percent of the new team represents SC, ST, and OBC groups. Rahul Gandhi and Kharge have consistently advocated for SC, ST, and OBC representation in government posts over the past year and have called for a nationwide caste-based census.
The party has appointed Netta D’Souza, former Mahila Congress chief, NSUI’s former Chief Neeraj Kundan, and Naveen Sharma as secretaries, working alongside Party General Secretary Organization KC Venugopal. Veteran leader Sharad Yadav’s daughter Subhashini Yadav has been appointed Secretary of Gujarat, Divya Maderna as Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, and Sarita Laitphalang as Secretary of Chhattisgarh. RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son-in-law Cheeranjiv Rao, son of senior Congress leader Captain Ajay Yadav and currently an MLA in Haryana, will serve as Secretary for Rajasthan.
Fiery spokesperson Alok Sharma has been appointed Secretary for Punjab. Pradeep Narwal and Dheeraj Gurjar, both close to General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have been appointed as Secretary for Uttar Pradesh. Suraj Hegde, who is close to Rahul Gandhi, will serve as Secretary in Tamil Nadu. Manoj Tyagi, seen frequently with Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, has been appointed as Joint Secretary Administration. The party has also retained Pranav Jha, who handles media for Kharge, Vineet Punia, and others as secretaries.The Nav Sankalp Shivir in Udaipur from May 14-17 focused on transforming the party’s operational methods. Rahul Gandhi emphasised transforming the party’s work approach rather than its ideology. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) approved a detailed strategy for future functioning, including the ‘50 below 50’ formula to increase youth representation and the introduction of fixed tenures for office bearers. The CWC also endorsed the ‘One Family, One Ticket’ system and the establishment of new departments to monitor performance and accountability.