Congress appoints former BSP MP Brijlal Khabri as UP unit chief, names six regional heads

Congress on Saturday appointed Dalit leer Brijlal Khabri as its Uttar Presh unit chief and named six regional chiefs as part of efforts to revive its fortunes in politically crucial state ahe of 2024 general elections.

appointments come months after Ajay Lallu resigned as state unit chief following party's crushing defeat in 2022 Assembly polls.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi appointed Khabri, a former BSP leer, as Uttar Presh Congress Committee president, along with naming Nasimuddin Siddiqui, Ajai Rai, Virendra Chaudhary, Nakul Dubey, Anil Yav and Yogesh Dixit as regional chiefs in state unit, a party statement said.

Party sources said that as part of its strategy to strengn organisation, UP Congress has divided entire state into six parts -- Paschim, Braj, Awh, Bundelkhand, Prayag and Purvanchal -- on a politico-cultural basis.

National Secretaries have alrey been posted in every zone by party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vra. Now each zone will have a president.

party has also sought to balance caste equations with new appointments. UP Congress has given a message to Dalit society by appointing Khabri as its president. regional hes include two Brahmins, a Muslim, a Bhumihar and two from backward castes, sources said.

Chaudhary will he Purvanchal region, Ajay Rai would he Prayag, Nakul Dubey Awh, Anil Yav (Etawa) Braj, Siddiqui will look after Paschim and Dixit after Bundelkhand, y said.

Khabri quit BSP in 2016 and joined Congress.

In March, Khabri's predecessor Lallu stepped down from post of UP Congress president after party bagged just two seats out of 403 in Assembly polls despite an aggressive campaign by Vra.