UP Cong chief Khurshid sacked amidst party polls

UP Cong chief Khurshid sacked amidst party polls
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, Sept 19: In a surprise move, Salman Khurshid was today removed as Uttar Pradesh Congress committee president.

Announcing his removal, party spokesman Ajit Jogi told reporters here that Sriprakash Jaiswal had been appointed new UPCC president.

The sudden development has come in the midst of organisational elections of the Congress and the controversy in the state unit over the appointment of District Returning Officers (DROs) for the party polls.

Several party leaders, including former UPCC chief Jitendra Prasada, had objected to the way the appointments had been made.

Asked why Khurshid has been replaced when the organisational polls were on, Jogi said "whenever it is necessary in the interest of the party, such changes are made''.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed PCC president Jaiswal said it would be his endeavour to turn the party into a fighting machine.

"Within six months you will see that the Congress would be the most active and vibrant organisation in the state which will take up the cause of the people," he said.

Jaiswal, an MP from Kanpur, said his task was now to bring all sections of people irrespective of caste and creed to unite under the organisation.

A former Mayor of Kanpur, Jaiswal said Congress PresidentSonia Gandhi's recent meeting at Padrauna and Ballia had shown that people were increasingly coming towards Congress.