Asha Kumari is the Congress lawmaker from Himachal Pradesh's Dalhousie. (File photo)
Highlights
- Asha Kumari replaces Kamal Nath as general secretary in-charge of Punjab
- Mr Nath stepped down after row over his alleged role in the 1984 riots
- Ms Kumari accused of illegally transferring forest land to her husband
The Congress picked Asha Kumari to replace Kamal Nath as the general secretary in-charge of Punjab ahead of next year's assembly elections in the state.
The lawmaker from Himachal Pradesh had been convicted in a land grab case in February and is currently out on bail.
A former state education minister, Asha Kumari had been accused of illegally transferring 60 bighas of forest land belonging to the government in the name of her husband, Brijender Singh, 18 years ago. Mr Singh belonged to the royal family of Chamba.
Her appointment came after Mr Nath stepped down on June 15 following a controversy over his alleged role in the 1984 riots.
Mr Nath's naming as the in-charge of Punjab had drawn sharp reactions from the state's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and the opposition Aam Aadmi Party. The two parties alleged that Mr Nath had been involved in the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984.
In his resignation letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi on June 15, Mr Nath said he had been "hurt" as an "unnecessary controversy has been created around 1984 riots".
He said he had been "fully absolved" by the Nanavati Commission appointed by the previous NDA government to probe the riot.
The elections in Punjab is a crucial one for the Congress, whose presence in the states have been shrinking.
After the last round of assembly elections, whose results were declared in May, the party lost two states -- Kerala and Assam.
The party hopes to make big gains in Punjab, where the Akali-BJP government has been in power for two consecutive terms.