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The Congress today appointed two new Pradesh Congress chiefs, Jayadev Jena and Sukhdeo Bhagat in Odisha and Jharkhand respectively. These appointments are in keeping with the organizational changes that Rahul Gandhi as Congress Vice President has been undertaking across the country to revamp the party.
Jayadev Jena replaces Niranjan Patnaik as PCC chief. Interestingly, in March this year, Congress insiders say that former Odisha Youth Congress president Pradip Majhi, was summoned to Delhi by Rahul Gandhi and offered the PCC chief post. But Majhi who was handpicked by Rahul in the last Lok Sabha elections 2009 and is a first time MP from Nabarangpur declined the offer saying he was not ready for the big post.
Jayadev Jena (62) the new PCC chief was an AICC Secretary and a former PCC chief of Odisha. Jena an SC is considered to be a grassroot politician with a clean image. The state polls are slated for 2014 and Congress has been out of power in the state for the last 15 years.
In Jharkhand, 48 year old Sukhdeo Bhagat has been appointed PCC chief in place of Pradeep Balmuchu, a Rajya Sabha MP. Bhagat became an MLA in 2005 and joined the Congress after a stint in the state administrative services. Bhagat, a post graduate from Delhi University belongs to the Oraon community of tribals from the state.
Of late, Rahul Gandhi has been bringing in new and younger faces in crucial posts in the party. Himchal Pradesh PCC chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, a former MLA is also 48 years old, so is the new Bihar PCC chief Ashok Chaudhary who is also in his forties. Gandhi has been working towards an organisation overhaul in the run up to crucial state and general elections.
