Rahul Gandhi’s confidant appointed as new Congress in-charge of Jharkhand

THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK

Ranchi, Feb 15: In a significant move, the Congress has replaced Ghulam Ahmed Mir as Jharkhand state in-charge, appointing K. Raju in his place. The announcement was made through a notification issued by Congress National General Secretary KC Venugopal late on Friday night.

Mir, who played a key role in the party’s strong performance in the Jharkhand assembly elections, has now been appointed as the Congress Legislature Party leader in Jammu & Kashmir.

Raju, known to be a close confidant of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, was an IAS officer from the 1981 batch. He served as the collector of Nellore and Kurnool districts in Andhra Pradesh before taking voluntary retirement in 2013.

During the UPA government, Raju served as the secretary of the National Advisory Council, led by Sonia Gandhi. He has been with the Congress party since 2013 and is currently working as the National Coordinator for the SC, ST, OBC, and Minority Departments of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Raju also played a crucial role in drafting key legislations such as the RTI Act, MNREGA, and the Food Security Act.

Old Connection with Jharkhand

Raju has longstanding ties with Jharkhand’s grassroots workers. In 2023, he launched the party’s Leadership Development Mission (LDM) in the state, working closely with the then Congress president Rajesh Thakur. He organized a workshop at Morhabadi Ground, where he guided a large number of SC, ST, OBC, and minority leaders to lead campaigns focused on “saving the Constitution” and other party initiatives.

“Since he has old connections with party workers in Jharkhand, he will be able to guide the state unit effectively,” said a senior Congress leader.

The Leadership Development Mission (LDM) is Congress’s grassroots initiative aimed at strengthening the party’s presence in constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) while advancing the agenda of social justice.