Row in Congress over new district presidents

Patna: The appointment of 53 District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents by the state Congress has triggered controversy with objections being raised over caste representation in the list announced on March 30 under the party’s all-India Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan.Some party leaders have alleged the list does not provide adequate representation to various castes and caste groups. They claimed the interests of backward caste and extremely backward caste groups were not properly addressed and the representation appeared tilted in favour of upper caste groups. State Congress chief Rajesh Ram also expressed concern over the issue while speaking to reporters at the party’s state headquarters Sadaquat Ashram earlier this week.“The list of 53 DCC presidents cleared by the high command has a major lacuna in the sense adequate representation has not been given to various castes and classes,” Ram said.“I have registered my complaint with the party high command, including All India Congress Committee general secretary K C Venugopal. The revised list is expected,” Ram added.Venugopal had released the list of the 53 DCC presidents with the approval of party president Mallikarjun Kharge. The appointments were made from panels of names suggested for specific districts by observers appointed by the AICC under the SSA programme.The SSA aims to strengthen district units and organisational structures down to the grassroots level, including block Congress committees.A state Congress source said the DCC presidents were selected on the basis of feedback and research conducted by observers in different districts. The source added social representation would also be ensured in other organisational bodies of district units.However, not all leaders have opposed the appointments.“The 53 DCC presidents were appointed from the panel of names suggested by the respective district observers. It is true not all party seniors in a district were consulted, but I am not aggrieved,” a senior state Congress functionary said.“The DCC is one thing and the Pradesh Congress Committee is a different thing. Both the units have to be strong and vibrant,” the functionary added.