Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is likely to be appointed as the next All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Telangana, according to reports on Monday, September 14. The position is expected to become vacant as the current Telangana in-charge, S. Meenakshi Natarajan, is likely to take a 10-month leave from party responsibilities to pursue higher education abroad. While no official announcement has been made, Gehlot is said to be one of the leading contenders being considered by the Congress high command for the important organisational role.
Apart from Ashok Gehlot, senior Congress leaders Mukul Wasnik and Shaktisinh Gohil are also reportedly under consideration for the Telangana in-charge post. S. Meenakshi Natarajan was appointed AICC in-charge for Telangana affairs on February 14, 2025, replacing Deepa Dasmunsi. Even before assuming the role, Natarajan played a significant part in shaping the Congress strategy for Telangana and served as an AICC observer during the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections, contributing to the party’s organisational efforts in the state.
Natarajan is regarded as a close associate of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and has held several important responsibilities within the party at the national level. She also has parliamentary experience, having been elected to the Lok Sabha from the Mandsaur constituency in Madhya Pradesh in the 2009 general elections with a margin of more than 30,000 votes. The Congress leadership is expected to take a final decision on the Telangana in-charge position in the coming weeks, as the party prepares for its future organisational and political activities in the state.
