NEW DELHI: After a long delay, Congress president Sonia Gandhi is likely to soon take decision on leadership changes in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, where state units are mired in factionalism.
A complete overhaul of the Uttar Pradesh unit was announced on Monday, with the appointment of new state chief, vice-presidents and secretaries.
According to party sources, the decision on Delhi chief is expected this week keeping in mind the Assembly elections while the decision on Leader of Opposition in Karnataka has to be taken before the start of the Assembly session on October 10.
Even as the Delhi election is expected to be held by December end, the post of Delhi Congress chief is lying vacant following death of Sheila Dikshit in July.
Dikshit and AICC in-charge for Delhi P C Chacko were at loggerheads over appointments in the state unit and a possible alliance with the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP for the Lok Sabha elections.
The names of Dalit leader Rajesh Lilothia, Sandeep Dikshit and Navjot Singh Sidhu are doing rounds as the PCC chief. There are also reports that the party may appoint a new in-charge for Delhi.
With the ongoing infighting in Congress-ruled states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Sonia is expected to first settle issues in MP where Jyotiraditya Scindia and former CM Digvijaya Singh are caught in a bitter fight.
A consensus candidate may replace Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who holds the post of the Congress state chief.
“Leadership changes may not happen in Rajasthan as of now, but a new president is expected in MP soon,” said a senior party leader.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and PCC chief Sachin Pilot have been at loggerheads for long. Pilot has been Rajasthan Congress chief for nearly six years.
In Karnataka, AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry has held several rounds of talks with the state leadership last week, as both former chief minister Siddaramaiah and former minister HK Patil are lobbying hard for the post.