Bhopal, Feb 15 (IANS): In the fourth reshuffle in the party's state unit in the past three years, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has appointed Rajasthan-based party leader, Harish Choudhary, as the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) in-charge.

He has replaced Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, who was appointed in-charge for Madhya Pradesh Congress after the party witnessed an embarrassing defeat in the Assembly elections in 2023.

Sitting MLA from Baytoo Assembly seat in Rajasthan, Choudhary was in-charge of Punjab from November 2021 to December 2023. Earlier, he was also minister for revenue in ex-CM Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan.

Earlier, Choudhary (55) served as national secretary for the All India Congress Committee (AICC) between 2014 and 2019.

On his appointment as in-charge for Madhya Pradesh, state Congress chief Jitu Patwari and several other leaders congratulated him through social media posts, stating that his experience will be used in rebuilding the party in the state.

"Congratulations and best wishes to Harish Choudhary on being appointed in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee. Your ground-level experience will give new heights to the ideology of Congress in the state," Jitu Patwari said.

Before Choudhary, Alwar (Rajasthan) MP, Bhanwar Jitendra Singh was appointed as in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Congress in December 2023, days after the party witnessed a stunning defeat at the hands of the BJP in the Assembly elections.

Singh had replaced Haryana-based leader Randeep Surjewala, who was in-charge of the MP Congress during the state Assembly elections.

However, the party could win only 66 out of 230 Assembly seats, and, he was replaced along with former state unit chief Kamal Nath.

Notably, before Surjewala, Delhi-based senior leader Jai Prakash Agarwal was made in-charge of the state in September 2022, one year before the state Assembly elections.

Agarwal, who had replaced Mukul Vasnik as in-charge for Madhya Pradesh Congress, was replaced with Surjewala.