In a major organizational overhaul, the Congress on Friday dropped Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, from its list of party general secretaries.
The changes come against the backdrop of a leadership crisis, an issue that was taken up in a recent meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday also constituted a six-member special committee to assist her in “organizational and operational matters”, including senior leaders A.K. Antony, Ahmed Patel, Ambika Sonia, K.C. Venugopal, Mukul Wasnik, and Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Mr. Azad was one of the signatories to a letter to Ms. Gandhi from twenty-three Congress leaders highlighting the need for an overhaul of the party for a full-time and effective leadership. Along with Mr. Azad four others—Motilal Vora, Ambika Soni, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Luizinho Faleiro – too were removed from the post of general secretaries.