CWC reshuffle: Kharge congratulates Surjewala on being Karnataka unit incharge

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday congratulated Randeep Singh Surjewala on his appointment as the party's in-charge for Karnataka and said he welcomed the changes made by interim president Sonia Gandhi in the Congress Working Committee.

"I welcome the changes, Surjewala is a man of integrity and takes everybody into confidence and therefore he is a good choice for Karnataka. Surjewala stood by us in our difficult times," Kharge told ANI here.

The former union minister said that he had conveyed his wishes to the party earlier and, therefore, he was happy with the decisions taken by the top leadership.

"When I was the Opposition Leader that (general secretary) was given to me as an additional charge. I had expressed my views to the party earlier," he said.

"HK Patil is a good choice, he is a young man, and he has worked well as an MLC, MLA, as Minister and also has an idea of the organisation. He also understands Maharashtra, therefore I have confidence he will prove to be very helpful. I will cooperate and give my advice when asked," Kharge added.

Gandhi had reconstituted the Congress Working Committee and leaders considered part of Team Rahul appear to have gained both in terms of prominence and in their presence in the changes made.

Party leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Jitendra Singh considered loyalists of Rahul Gandhi, are now full members of the working committee, the highest decision-making body of the party.

Surjewala is the biggest gainer in the reshuffle as he is also been made a general secretary in charge of Karnataka besides being a member of the panel to assist party chief Sonia Gandhi.

Kharge had been removed from the post of general secretary in the party along with Ghulam Nabi Azad.