A day after his appointment as AICC General Secretary attacked to Priyanka Gandhi to strengthen her Team, Kumar Ashish was sacked by Congress President Rahul Gandhi from the post following allegations of irregularities surfaced against him.
Congress General Secretary In-Charge of Organization KC Venugopal said in a statement, ‘Congress President Rahul Gandhi canceled his appointment with immediate effect’. The Statement added that he will be replaced by Sachin Naik.
Kumar Ashish was booked in a paper Leak case way back in 2005. However, he termed it as ‘Political Conspiracy’ and claimed that he has not been charge-sheeted in the case.
Sources in the party said, soon after his appointment as the General Secretary attacked to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who is appointed as party’s In-charge for UP east, many leaders from Bihar approached Congress Central Leadership seeking to remove Kumar Ashish. Leaders believed that this will not go well in the campaign and Opposition will find a chance to attack Priyanka Gandhi on the issue.
Earlier on Feb 19, Congress appointed 6 Additional Secretaries in a bid to strengthen Team Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia.
READ: Congress appoints 6 additional Secretaries in UP to strengthen Team Priyanka and Scindia
Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia were appointed AICC general secretary in-charge of UP East and UP west respectively in January and took charge earlier this month. Priyanka Gandhi has been assigned the responsibility to look after 41 seats Lok Sabha Seats while Scindia will look after party’s affairs in remaining 39 seats. Uttar Pradesh has a total of 80 Lok Sabha Seats.
Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiradity Scindia held a series of discussions with party workers last week in Lucknow, with at least one session lasting through the night. Both General Secretaries along with Congress President Rahul Gandhi also held a massive rally in Lucknow on February 11.
With Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party joining hands in the state, Congress has also intensified its efforts to revive itself in the state to take on BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls 2019.
ALSO READ:
- ‘Can’t Do Miracle, Workers can only strengthen Congress’: Priyanka Gandhi in Bundelkhand
- Politics heat up in UP; Congress workers want Priyanka Gandhi to take on PM Modi in Varanasi in LS Polls
- PM Narendra Modi’s Visit to Gandhi’s Hometurf Amethi canceled