Ahmed Patel was earlier the political secretary of former party chief Sonia Gandhi.
Highlights
- After nearly two decades Ahmed Patel is back as treasurer of Congress
- He replaces veteran Motilal Vora, who held the post during this period
- He was political secretary to Sonia Gandhi
After nearly two decades Ahmed Patel is back as treasurer of the Congress party. He replaces veteran Motilal Vora, who held the post during this period. Ahmed Patel, who turned 69 today, held the all-powerful portfolio of political secretary to the Congress president and after Sonia Gandhi's term, he remained a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party. He had earlier served as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) treasurer from 1996 to 2000.
"The party appreciates the hard work and contribution of Motilal Vora as treasurer of the party," AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot said.
Ahmed Patel plans to revitalise the party with door-to-door collections and get grass-root Congress workers contribute to the party funds. He believes this will help mobilise party workers. The party funds have taken a huge hit after the Congress lost power in 2014. It stands nowhere in terms of funds when compared to the BJP.
Mr Patel was elected to the Rajya Sabha last year after beating BJP nominee Balwantsinh Rajput, who had resigned from the Congress to join the BJP. The win for the Congress leader came after the Election Commission cancelled the votes of Congress lawmakers Bhola Bhai Gohil and Raghav Bhai Patel.
Mr Patel had announced his victory with the tweet, "Satyamev Jayate" (Truth shall triumph) and called his election not just his win but the defeat of what he called "the most blatant use of money power, muscle power and abuse of state machinery".
Former Union minister Anand Sharma has been appointed as the chairperson of the party's foreign affairs department. Former speaker Meira Kumar was made a permanent invitee to the CWC.
The appointments come a month after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi restructured the party set-up and dropped veterans such as Digvijaya Singh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Janardhan Dwivedi and CP Joshi from the CWC and replaced them with new faces.
The changes, party sources said, reflect Mr Gandhi's intent to expose the next generation of Congress leaders to deliberations in the party's top panel but at the same time, retain the party veterans whose advice he is known to rely on.