Just hours after the Assembly polls were announced, the Congress Friday reshuffled its organisation and appointed new state presidents in Jammu & Kashmir and Jharkhand – appointing Tariq Hameed Karra and Keshav Mahto Kamlesh for the two states respectively. Karra will replace Vikar Rasool Wani in J&K, while Kamlesh will take over from Rajesh Thakur. Karra had won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Srinagar for Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party. Starting September 18, J&K will vote in three phases — fewest phases in the last two decades. This will be the first Assembly elections in J&K since November 2014. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge also appointed two working presidents for J&K - Tara Chand and Raman Bhalla. Kharge has also appointed Wani as a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) with immediate effect. Karra has been relieved from his current position as permanent invitee to the CWC, said a party statement. “The party appreciates the contributions of the outgoing Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Rasool Wani,” it said. In Jharkhand, the party appointed Rameshwar Oraon as Leader of the Congress Legislature Party with immediate effect. In significant appointments in Maharashtra, Kharge appointed Balasaheb Thorat as member of the CWC and Mohammad Arif Naseem Khan as special invitee to the CWC. The Congress president has also appointed Syed Muzaffar Hussain as working president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.
