K V Thomas may replace Digvijaya as Congress state in-charge

After the election debacle in Goa, the Congress top brass is likely to replace Karnataka incharge AICC General Secretary Digvijaya Singh with former Union Minister K V Thomas.

A decision in this regard is likely to be taken after Congress president Sonia Gandhi returns from the US along with party vice president Rahul Gandhi. Karnataka assumes importance for the party as the Assembly elections in the state are due early next year. With the party suffering a loss in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the organisation wishes to concentrate on Karnataka. Congress leaders from Karnataka too have been pressing for a change in the setup so that a central leader who can better understand the problems of the organisation in the state is appointed.

Thomas’s name has started doing the rounds as he was earlier sent to the state as AICC observer for the Rajya Sabha elections. Thomas will hand over the chairmanship of Public Accounts Committee, an important Parliamentary panel, to Mallikarjun Kharge in two and half months. At present, Kharge is Congress floor leader in the Lok Sabha and will take additional charge as PAC chairman. Ernakulam Lok Sabha MP Thomas’ term as PAC chairman will end on May 1. 

Singh, who is in charge of Goa, is facing criticism from a section of party leaders for his failure to instal a Congress government in the coastal state though it was the single largest party. Singh, considered a close confidant of Rahul Gandhi, is currently in-charge general secretary for four states — Karnataka, Goa, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

With the demand for making structural changes to strengthen the party to overcome the humiliating defeat in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, in-charge general secretaries of several states are expected to be replaced, said the leader.