Leaders of Gujarat Congress are scheduled to meet party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Friday to discuss the new face for the state's Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), said sources.
Over six months ago, Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Paresh Dhanani resigned from their post.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat PCC was dissolved in October 2019.
"The vacancies in the party's state unit need to be filled as the Assembly polls are due next year in the state," the sources said.
Recently, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) appointed Raghu Sharma as in charge of Gujarat after the demise of Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Satav, who died due to post COVID-19 complications in May 2021.
"The party is facing defeats in the local body polls and other opposition parties are emerging as a challenge for Congress in Opposition. In the current scenario, the meeting will be attended by senior leaders of the state and AICC in-charge Raghu Sharma," stated sources.
According to sources close to the development, Hardik Patel, who is currently the Working President of Gujarat Congress and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil are the "front runners" for the post of PCC chief in Gujarat.
However, the final decision will be taken by the High Command after discussion with all the stakeholders, they added.
Hardik Patel comes from the Patidar community, which used to be a strong vote bank of the BJP. Patel emerged as a leader after the Patidar Movement, while Gohil, who was recently sent to Rajya Sabha by the party, is a close door member of the Gandhi family.
Gujarat is an important state where there is a one to one fight with the ruling BJP, which has remained in power for almost two decades, and Congress.
In the last Assembly polls, Congress gave a tough fight to BJP but failed to change the regime. Therefore, this time party wants that strong face should be fielded to cash the anti-incumbency in the state. The Assembly polls in the state are scheduled to be held in the first half of 2022.
( With inputs from ANI )
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