Oommen Chandy replaces Digvijaya Singh as Andhra Pradesh AICC in-charge; Gaurav Gogoi gets West Bengal

The Congress on Sunday announced the appointment of state in-charge for West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar and Andhra Pradesh. While Gaurav Gogoi has been appointed AICC general secretary in-charge for West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar, former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy as the in-charge for Andhra Pradesh.

Oommen Chandy has replaced former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and veteran Congress leader Digivijaya Singh as general secretary in-charge for Andhra Pradesh. Gogoi has replaced Dr CP Joshi as AICC general secretary in-charge for West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar.

The appointment of Chandy in Andhra Pradesh assumes significance as the state is expected to go for Assembly elections in 2019. Currently, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, is in power in Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu’s TDP, which was in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Centre, recently parted ways with the NDA government over special category status to Andhra Pradesh. The state will also send 25 MPs to Lok Sabha in the 2019 General elections.

West Bengal, where the Assembly elections is likely in 2021, will send 42 lawmakers to Parliament in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.