Assembly Polls And Karnataka Transition Over Congress Prepares For A Major Shake Up

With the Assembly election cycle over and the leadership transition in Karnataka conducted smoothly, the Congress high command has turned its attention to restructuring some state units and reshuffling organisational responsibilities at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) level.

Sources said a revamp of the Punjab Congress was on the cards ahead of the Assembly elections due in February 2027. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring is likely to be replaced, with a section of the leadership pitching for Jalandhar MP and former CM Charanjit Singh Channi to take over. The party’s underwhelming performance in the recent local body elections has deepened factional fault lines within the state unit.

The party could see leadership changes in as many as six states. While Congress is set to appoint new presidents in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, discussions are also underway on whether the state chiefs in Rajasthan and poll-bound Uttar Pradesh should be replaced.

In Kerala, state Congress president Sunny Joseph has become a minister in the V D Satheesan government. Lobbying for the top party post has already begun, with caste, community and factional equations coming into play. Lok Sabha MPs Kodikunnil Suresh, Benny Behanan, and Anto Antony are among the contenders along with UDF convener Adoor Prakash and senior leader Joseph Vazhackan.

Those backing Suresh, an eight-term MP and former working president of the state unit, argue that the party should consider appointing a Dalit leader to the post. Others contend that with Christians having backed the Congress in big numbers and the BJP stepping up outreach to the community, Joseph should be succeeded by a Chrisian leader.

In Tamil Nadu, K Selvaperunthagai is set to be removed, with the high command said to be unhappy with his style of functioning. In Karnataka, the choice of successor to D K Shivakumar, who is set to take over as Chief Minister, is linked to the impending Cabinet reshuffle. While Satish Jarkiholi, a minister in the Siddaramaiah government, is viewed as the frontrunner, sources said the final decision would depend on the Cabinet appointments. AICC’s Haryana in-charge B K Hariprasad is also learnt to be in the running. Shivakumar is expected in Delhi for consultations on Cabinet formation and sources said a decision on the next Karnataka Congress chief could be taken before his swearing-in on June 3.

Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra has held the post since July 2020, while Ajay Rai has headed the Uttar Pradesh unit since August 2023. Sources said the leadership was weighing whether both state units require a change at the top. The party’s state unit in Andhra Pradesh is also likely to see a leadership change, with current state president Y S Sharmila likely to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, a promise that the leadership made to her before she joined the party ahead of the 2024 elections.

The decision to reappoint Girish Chodankar as Goa Congress president, however, has triggered disquiet within the state unit. Assembly elections in Goa are due in February 2027. Chodankar had resigned as state chief in March 2022 following the party’s defeat in the Assembly polls.

Apart from changes in state units, a reshuffle at the AICC level is also under consideration. Sources said the leadership was dissatisfied with the performance of several state in-charges.

The proposed changes were discussed during a meeting between Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, sources said. Gandhi is understood to be keen on bringing in fresh faces at the top as part of the preparations for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Manoj C G currently serves as the Chief of National Political Bureau at ... Read More