Ahead of 2019 polls, Ahmed Patel appointed new treasurer of Congress

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday initiated key changes in the party set up by appointing Ahmed Patel as its new treasurer in place of Motilal Vora, who was made AICC general secretary administration, a newly-created post.

Patel, who turned 69 on Tuesday, was earlier the political secretary of former party chief Sonia Gandhi. He had earlier served as the AICC treasurer from 1996 to 2000. Rahul Gandhi also appointed former Union minister Anand Sharma as the chairperson of the party's foreign affairs department replacing Karan Singh, AICC general secretary, organisation, Ashok Gehlot said in a statement.

Former speaker Meira Kumar was made a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party.

Luizinho Falerio was appointed as AICC general secretary in-charge of the north-eastern states, except Assam. He replaces C P Joshi, who ceases to be the party general secretary.

"The party appreciates the hard work and contribution of Motilal Vora as treasurer of the party," Gehlot said in the statement. In another statement, he also appreciated the contribution made by Karan Singh as chairperson of the AICC foreign affairs department and Joshi as general secretary of north-eastern states.

The changes come a month after Rahul Gandhi restructured the party set up and dropped veterans such as Digvijaya Singh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Janardhan Dwivedi and C P Joshi from the all-powerful CWC and appointed some new faces in their place.