Kharge appointed Congress in charge of Maharashtra

New Delhi, June 22 (IANS) The Congress on Friday appointed its leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge as the General Secretary in charge of Maharashtra, where assembly elections will be held next year.

Kharge's appointment has come into force with immediate effect. He replaces party leader Mohan Prakash. 

"Congress President Rahul Gandhi has appointed Mallikarjun Kharge as AICC general secretary incharge of Maharashtra," a party statement said. 

The party also appointed Sonal Patel from Gujarat, Ashish Dua from Haryana and Sampath Kumar from Telangana as AICC secretaries to assist Kharge. They replaced Shyoraj Jivan Valmiki and Bala Bachchan.

Kharge's appointment came less than a year before the Lok Sabha polls amid likelihood of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party forging an alliance in Maharashtra. The two parties had fought the recently held parliamentary and assembly bypolls together, though fighting the last assembly polls separately. 

There is also some uneasiness in the ties between the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. 

Gandhi also made some other appointments including of J. D. Seelam and Mahendra Joshi as secretatry and Shashi Kant Sharma as joint secretary, to assist party General Secretary Ashok Gehlot, who is incharge of the Organisation.

Christopher Tilak and C. D. Meyyappan have been appointed AICC secetaries for Andhra Pradesh.