Kharge's appointment aimed at invigorating Maha Cong unit

The appointment of Mallikarjun Kharge as Congress' Maharashtra general secretary in-charge in place of Mohan Prakash is being seen as a move by party chief Rahul Gandhi to energise its state unit ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls scheduled next year.

The senior Congress leader, hailing from adjoining Karnataka, has his task cut out to improve the electoral performance of the party which took a beating from ruling BJP in the 2014 elections in Maharashtra, a party leader said.

Kharge knows Maharashtra well and his vast experience will help reverse the tide for Congress, which was relegated to the fourth position in Maharashtra in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

In the State Assembly polls held the same year, the party won 42 seats in the 288-member House, while BJP won 122, Shiv Sena 63 and Nationalist Congress Party bagged 41 seats.

"Kharge ji is a seasoned leader. He has worked in Karnataka and is the party's leader in the Lok Sabha. His vast experience will be very useful to change its fortune in the state which sends 48 MPs in Lok Sabha, second only to Uttar Pradesh in terms of numbers," the leader told PTI.

Kharge doesn't have much time at his disposal to boost the performance of the party's state unit, led by former chief minister Ashok Chavan, the leader said.

"That is where his experience will come in handy while dealing with probable alliance partners in the state," the leader said.

Mohan Prakash oversaw the party's affairs in Maharashtra for over nine years, first as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary in-charge and later as general secretary in-charge of the state.

"The party did not fare well in the state in 2014 polls and also suffered setbacks in the municipal polls, majority of which were won by the BJP. This, perhaps, went against him," the leader said.

Earlier today, AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot said in a statement, "The party appreciates the hard work and contribution of Mohan Prakash who will be stepping down from his responsibilities as the General Secretary and AICC in-charge of Maharashtra."