Cong picks ex-JNUSU president as its leader in Bihar assembly

All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and two-term MLA from Kadwa in Katihar district, Shakeel Ahmad Khan, has been elected as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in Bihar, replacing incumbent Ajeet Sharma.

Khan, also a former JNU Students’ Union president, was declared elected as the CLP leader at a meeting convened by the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) at its state office Sadaquat Ashram on Saturday.

However, of the total 19 Congress MLAs in Bihar, 11, including Sharma, skipped the meeting, which was attended by AICC general secretary Tariq Anwar, AICC in-charge for Bihar, Bhakta Charan Das, AICC observer Shaktisinh Gohil and state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh.

A senior party official said change of the CLP face was imminent given the caste equations in the state committee. “Both Akhilesh Prasad Singh and Ajeet Sharma were of the same caste (Bhumihar). As a majority of the positions in the organisation are held by the upper caste leaders, the party has decided to elevate Khan, a minority leader, as the CLP leader,” he said.

Talking to media persons, party MLC Prem Chandra Mishra said AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge had approved Das’s recommendation for Khan’s nomination. “The envelope was opened by AICC observer Gohil in presence of Anwar and other leaders. All MLAs present in the meeting welcomed Khan’s appointment,” said Mishra.

However, BPCC media department head Rajesh Kumar Rathore said only a few MLAs, who were on the assembly committee tour, did not attend.