Cong appoints Karra as J&K unit chief, Keshav Mahto to lead Jharkhand unit

In a significant organisational reshuffle ahead of the assembly polls, the Congress on Friday appointed Tariq Hameed Karra as president of its Jammu and Kashmir unit and Keshav Mahto Kamlesh as chief of the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee.

While Karra replaces Vikar Rasool Wani in Jammu and Kashmir, Kamlesh takes over from Rajesh Thakur.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also appointed two working presidents for Jammu and Kashmir -- Tara Chand and Raman Bhalla -- as the party gets battle ready for assembly polls in the Union Territory, the dates of which were announced by the Election Commission on Friday.

Kharge has also appointed Wani as a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) with immediate effect. Karra has been relieved from his current position as permanent invitee to the CWC, the party said in a statement.

"The party appreciates the contributions of the outgoing Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Rasool Wani," the statement said.

In Jharkhand, where assembly polls are due later this year, the Congress also appointed Rameshwar Oraon as Leader of the Congress Legislature Party with immediate effect.

In significant appointments from Maharashtra, where elections are also due later this year, Kharge appointed Balasaheb Thorat as member of the CWC and Mohd Arif Naseem Khan as special invitee to the CWC.

The Congress president has also appointed Syed Muzaffar Hussain as working president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.

The Election Commission on Friday announced the schedules for assembly elections to Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir will vote in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The elections in Haryana will be held in a single phase on October 1. Results of both will be announced on October 4.

These will be the first assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and its reorganisation into a Union Territory.

The schedule for assembly elections in Jharkhand and Maharashtra are yet to be announced.