New Delhi, Jul 12 (IANS): Ahead of the Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the Congress has appointed senior observers for both states, and a surprise inclusion is that of Milind Deora, who had been sidelined for a long time.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has been appointed a senior observer in Gujarat and Bhupesh Baghel, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, will look after Himachal Pradesh.

Gehlot will be assisted by T.S. Singh Deo, a Minister in Chhattisgarh and Milind Deora former Mumbai chief. Baghel will be helped by former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot and Punjab Congress legislative party leader Partap Singh Bajwa. Both the states go to polls this year.

Milind Deora, who was sidelined since his resignation from the post of Mumbai Congress chief, has made a comeback in the election management of the crucial state of Gujarat where the Congress has been out of power for more than two decades.

Deora, a former Union Minister, was once considered to be very close to Rahul Gandhi, but was out of mainstream Congress in Mumbai and also had been ignored for the Rajya Sabha polls after he lost Lok Sabha elections.

Recently, the Congress appointed seven working presidents for its Gujarat unit. Following a social engineering strategy, each of these leaders represents a caste. The Congress is also attempting to send a message to upper caste voters that the party is trying to rise above its dedicated SC/ST/OBC vote bank and cares for them too.