New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday approved the appointment of State Chairpersons/Coordinators of the party’s SC, OBC departments in states including Rajasthan and West Bengal.

Party General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, in a statement, said that Mamta Bhupesh has been appointed as chairperson of the SC Department in Rajasthan.

In West Bengal, Biswajit Roy was appointed as the chairperson of the party’s SC Department.

The party statement said the Congress president has appointed Sakir Ahmed as chairperson of the OBC Department in Manipur.

In Punjab, the party has appointed Jaspreet Singh as state coordinator for the Rajiv Gandhi Panchavati Raj Sangathan (RGPRS).

Earlier in the day, Kharge accompanied the Opposition INDIA bloc’s Vice Presidential candidate and former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd) B. Sudershan Reddy when he filed his nomination papers.

Justice Reddy has been fielded against the NDA’s nominee C.P. Radhakrishnan, the incumbent Governor of Maharashtra and a veteran BJP leader from Tamil Nadu. The election for the Vice President’s post will be held on September 9.

The filing of nominations turned into a show of unity for the INDIA bloc, with Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar, DMK leaders, and representatives of other parties standing by Reddy.

After submitting his papers, Justice Reddy issued a statement, urging all to support his candidature.

In a message on X, Kharge said, “Our Joint Opposition is determined to protect the ideas and values enshrined in the Constitution and fight this battle head-on.”

He said, “As the Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, the Vice President is tasked with upholding the highest traditions of Parliamentary Democracy.”

“The candidature of Shri B. Sudarshen Reddy garu is a message to the tyranny unleashed by the Modi Govt on every institution,” said Kharge.

–IANS

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