Jignesh Mevani, 6 others appointed working presidents of Gujarat Congress

With Assembly elections later this year and fearing more defections, the Congress on Thursday announced the appointment of seven leaders, five of them MLAs, including Independent legislator Jignesh Mevani, as working presidents of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC).

Apart from Mevani, who is yet to officially join the party, Lalit Kagathra, Rutvik Makwana, Ambrish Der and Himmatsingh Patel are the legislators. Kagathra, Der and Makwana hail from Saurashtra region while Patel is an MLA from Ahmedabad. Two other working presidents, Kadir Pirzada, is a senior leader from south Gujarat, while Indravijaysinh Gohil is a youth leader from Ahmedabad.

The decision came nearly two months after Patidar leader Hardik Patel quit the party as its working president to join the ruling BJP. Sources in the party said, "To pacify several MLAs who were reported to be negotiating with the BJP, the party decided to include them in the list." However, the list of leaders hasn't gone down well with the party leaders.

Earlier this week, the party appointed parliamentary segment-wise observers in all 26 parliamentary constituencies in a bid to prepare for the upcoming election. Majority of these observers are ministers and MLAs from neighbouring Rajasthan where Congress is in power. These observers are expected to analyse the party's ground and submit a report to Delhi.

Already reeling with defections with nearly a dozen MLAs and top leaders, including Hardik Patel switching sides to BJP, the Congress has an uphill task to unite as a team and fight against the incumbent BJP, which is targeting a record victory under the leadership of state president C R Paatil.

Congress will also have to counter the rise of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with the party's national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal leading the campaign from the front. Just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been visiting Gujarat every month after the party's campaign ended with victories in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, among other states, Kejriwal has increased his visits after capturing power in Punjab.

Although the election in Gujarat has traditionally been a bipolar contest, the Kejriwal-led AAP is expected to alter the trend. Party's campaign around free electricity, better government-run schools and Kejriwal's image of a "clean" politician is likely to upset Congress's equation.