Niranjan hails Chellakumar as State Cong in-charge

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has appointed Dr A Chellakumar as its new in-charge of Odisha.

Dr Chellakumar, an MP of Tamil Nadu, replaced Jitendra Singh, who had been in the helm of party affairs in the State since 2018. Singh has been appointed party in-charge of Assam.

In the AICC reshuffle, former Union Minister Bhakta Charan Das has been appointed as in-charge of the party in Mizoram and Manipur. He has also been included in the 26-member Congress Working Committee (CWC) as a permanent invitee.

However, Dr Rama Chandra Khuntia, who was a CWC member and party in-charge of Telangana, has not been given any responsibility this time.

Dr Chellakumar, an MBBS doctor, has a long experience in politics as was a two-time MLA in Tamil Nadu before being elected to the Parliament in 2019 elections. Earlier to this new assignment, he was AICC-in charge of Goa. He is known for his proximity to Rahul Gandhi.

While the State Congress badly needs revival in view of poll debacles and infight among senior leaders, he would have major challenges in uniting dissidents and revamping the party ahead of two by-polls in the State.

PCC president Niranjan Patnaik welcomed the appointment of Dr Chellakumar.

“We welcome Chellakumar and will work together for revival of the party base in Odisha. At the same time, we are sad that Jitendra Singh was shifted from the State. He worked a lot to reve up the party,” said Patnaik.