Pradeep Mathur new UP CLP leader

Besides Tewari, others who were aspiring for the post included PCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Anugrah Naryan Singh and Vivek Singh.

The appointment was made by party president Sonia Gandhi with immediate effect. The announcement was made by AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi.

Sometime back Gandhi had sent Motilal Vora, Sushil Kumar Shinde and Digvijay Singh as central observers to Lucknow for a meeting of the state legislature party, which had authorized her to take the decision.

Mathur is a loyalist who has been in Congress through thick and thin unlike some of the other contenders, who had their brief stints in between with other parties as well.

Rita Bahugunja had tendered her resignation as PCC chief immediately after the party debacle in Uttar Pradesh amid indications that the state unit of the party will undergo a thorough reshuffle.

Congress has been in political wilderness in Uttar Pradesh since 1989 in the wake of Mandal and Mandir surge.