Congress forms election panels for five states, and two Union Territories

NEW DELHI: Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has formed election committees for Karnataka, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nagaland, Chandigarh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.nnThe Congress chief also approved the new office bearers, executive committee and DCC chiefs for West Bengal.nnWhile former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh will be the chairman of the campaign committee for the state, former union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal will chair the campaign committee for union territory Chandigarh.nnGandhi also appointed former parliamentarian Somendra Nath Mitra as president of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee. He will have four working presidents in Sankar Malakar, Nepal Mahato, Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury and Deepa Dasmunsi.nnThe names of nine vice presidents and nine general secretaries along with Aloke Pandey as treasurer of WBCC were also approved by Gandhi.nnGandhi approved the campaign committee of Andaman and Nicobar Territorial Congress having 221 members.nnThe Congress chief also set up a coordination committee for all these states with AICC in-charges leading them. The panel for Karnataka would be chaired by Ramalinga Reddy.nnThe campaign committee for Nagaland would be chaired by K Therie, a party statement said.nnAll top leaders of the state are part of the coordination and campaign committees and others have been included in media and publicity committee and election management committee.nnSource: Press Trust of India