Congress forms committees for Bihar polls; Surjewala named chairman of key panel

Subodh Kumar has been appointed the convenor of the publicity committee, while Jaeya Mishra was named the co-convenor of the panel.
Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala  (Photo | Shekhar Yadav/EPS)
Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala (Photo | Shekhar Yadav/EPS)

NEW DELHI: The Congress Sunday formed six panels for the upcoming Bihar assembly polls with party general secretary Randeep Surjewala being named chairman of the key election management and coordination committee.

Mohan Prakash was made the convenor of the 14-member election management and coordination committee.

The panel includes senior leaders like Meira Kumar, Tariq Anwar, Shatrughan Sinha, Kirti Azad, Shakeel Ahmed, Subodh Kant Sahay and Sanjay Nirupam.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi also approved the setting up of the publicity committee, media coordination committee, public meeting and logistics committee, legal committee and office management committee for the Bihar elections, a party statement said.

Subodh Kumar has been appointed the convenor of the 14-member publicity committee, while Jaeya Mishra was named the co-convenor of the panel.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera has been named the chairman of the 15-member media coordination committee for the polls, while Prem Chand Mishra will be the convenor and Rajesh Rathor co-convenor of the panel.

Brijesh Kumar Munan has been appointed convenor of the 13-member public meeting and logistics committee, while Varun Chopra has been named the chairman of the legal committee comprising eight members.

The party's ten-member office management committee includes the likes of Ashok Kumar and state unit's working president Kaukab Quadri.

The panels seem to have a Rahul Gandhi stamp over them with Surjewala, a close confidant of the former Congress chief and the party's chief spokesperson, heading the key election management panel.

The setting up of panels comes a day after the Congress' list of star campaigners for the polls became public and included some of the leaders who had written to party president Sonia Gandhi demanding an organisational overhaul.

In its list of 30 star campaigners for the first phase of Bihar assembly polls on October 28, the party has named Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

It has also included Ghulam Nabi Azad and Raj Babbar who were among the group of 23 letter-writers.

Sachin Pilot, who raised a banner of revolt against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, has also been named a star campaigner for Bihar elections.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and former actor and ex-MP Shatrughan Sinha are also on the star campaigners' list which has been sent to the Election Commission.

The party has so far declared 21 candidates in its first list for the first phase of the polls on October 28.

The Congress is contesting the Bihar assembly polls as part of the RJD-led Grand Alliance.

Under their seat-sharing formula, the Congress will contest 70 of a total 243 seats.

The Bihar assembly polls will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7, and the counting of votes will take place on November 10.

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