A Akhter /New Delhi

Rahul Gandhi and Ghulam Nabi Azad at function in New Delhi-Pix Hamil Ali
File Photo..

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has been appointed General Secretary incharge of Uttar Pradesh. Kamal Nath will be General Secretary incharge Haryana and Punjab.

The move is considered precursor to a major organisational shake-up in the party ahead of the assembly polls in the two states next year.

Madhusudan Mistry, who was hitherto looking after Uttar Pradesh, will be the new general secretary incharge of Central Election Committee, while Shakeel Ahmed, incharge of Punjab and Haryana, has been relieved of the charge.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi effected the changes a day after the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha which saw cross voting by some party MLAs in Uttar Pradesh and alleged deliberate faulty marking by its 14 legislators in Haryana which led to their votes being declared invalid and resulted in the defeat of Congress-backed candidate R K Anand.

The reshuffle came at a time when talk of Rahul Gandhi being elevated as party chief had again gained ground.