The Congress here has finally got its chief as Janardan Chandurkar was appointed president by Sonia Gandhi on Thursday.
The Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) presidential post has been lying vacant since February 2012 when former president Kripashankar Singh stepped down following the debacle of the party in the civic polls and the High Court order to probe into his disproportionate assets.
Janaradan Chandurkar, who is a Dalit leader, was a party spokesperson.
The Congress’ Maharashtra in-charge Mohan Prakash had informed the party high command that there was a need for a Dalit leader in Mumbai owing to Dalit leader and Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athavale joining hands with the Shiv Sena.
Sources in Mumbai Regional Congress Committee said the post of Mumbai Congress chief had been kept vacant for more than a year in the hope that Kripashankar Singh would be come clean of charges of corruption.
However, during Rahul Gandhi’s interaction with the Congress office-bearers last month brought to his notice the need to fill the vacant post.
Rahul, according to sources, had assured the office-bearers that the post would be filled soon.