Congress appoints senior observers for Maharashtra, Jharkhand elections

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy, Sachin Pilot, are among several senior Congress leaders appointed as division-wise All India Congress Committee (AICC) observers on Tuesday (October 15, 2024) for the upcoming Maharashtra elections. For Jharkhand, senior leaders Tariq Anwar, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu have been named senior observers.

After its shock defeat in the Haryana Assembly election, the appointments are supposed to convey the party’s battle-readiness in both the States. The Congress is part of the ruling alliance in Jharkhand with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). In Maharashtra, it is a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) along with Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).

The Congress will deploy Mr. Gehlot, along with former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, to oversee the Mumbai and Konkan regions, while Mr. Pilot and Telangana leader Uttam Kumar Reddy will manage the Marathwada region.