"Congress President Sonia Gandhi has appointed Fernandes as President of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect in place of Shirodkar," AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said in a press release.
Shirodkar had tendered his resignation to the Congress High Command soon after the party's humiliating defeat in the Goa state legislative assembly elections in 2012.
Some Congress leaders including former Goa chief minister Ravi Naik was also eyeing the GPCC chief's post.
In October this year itself, AICC Secretary A Chellakumar had said that asking Shirodkar to step down from the post, to replace him with another leader, is unlikely at present and that as long as he is ready to work, he will continue as Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) chief.