SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, Feb 15: The newly appointed Jharkhand Congress in-charge, K. Raju, has assured that he will do his best to fulfil the electoral promises made by the party in the run-up to the assembly elections.
Speaking to this writer, Raju said he plans to visit Jharkhand in the coming days to discuss poll promises with party leaders. “Rahulji is very particular about it,” he pointed out.
Raju outlined a clear three-pronged strategy for his work in Jharkhand. “First, we will focus on strengthening our organization from the panchayat level to the state level,” he said.
“Second, we will develop leaders from marginalized communities who often don’t get the opportunity to prove their mettle,” he added.
“And finally, since we are a partner in the government, we will work to improve governance by gathering public feedback.”
Summing up his approach, Raju stated, “In a nutshell, we want to strengthen our connection with the people.”
Change in Leadership
The Congress recently 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 K.C. Venugopal late on Friday night.
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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’s Background and Experience
A close confidant of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, K. Raju is a former 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, he served as the secretary of the National Advisory Council, led by Sonia Gandhi. Since joining the Congress party in 2013, he has worked as the National Coordinator for the SC, ST, OBC, and Minority Departments of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Raju also played a key role in drafting major legislations such as the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), and the Food Security Act.
Old Connection with Jharkhand
Raju has longstanding ties with grassroots workers in Jharkhand. In 2023, he launched the party’s Leadership Development Mission (LDM) in the state, working closely with then-Congress president Rajesh Thakur. He organized a workshop at Morhabadi Ground, guiding a large number of SC, ST, OBC, and minority leaders in campaigns focused on “saving the Constitution” and other party initiatives.
A senior Congress leader remarked, “Since he has old connections with party workers in Jharkhand, he will be able to guide the state unit effectively.”
The Leadership Development Mission (LDM) is a grassroots Congress 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.
