New Delhi: The Congress has appointed senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh as its new general secretary in-charge for communications, publicity and media, including digital and social media.
Ramesh replaces Randeep Surjewala, also a Rajya Sabha MP, who had been in-charge of party communications since 2015. He was made general secretary in 2020.
In a statement issued Thursday, the party thanked Surjewala for his contribution during his tenure and said that he will continue as general secretary in-charge for Karnataka.
The Congress has been strategising over a new organisational structure for its communication department since its ‘Chintan Shivir’ (brainstorming session) held in Udaipur last month.
Speaking at the Shivir, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had stressed that the party needed to “completely reform” its communication systems.
“The 21st century is about communication and that is one area where our opponents outdo us. They have much more money and are better at communication. We must think about communication, completely reform our systems and communicate with the people of India, with the youngsters, in a new way,” Gandhi had said.
Ramesh’s predecessor Surjewala’s tenure was marked by a perceived, consistent failure of the principal opposition party to communicate its viewpoint. Poll strategist Prashant Kishore had earlier pointed out the Congress leadership’s frequent admission of their failure to communicate with the masses. In an interview with ThePrint earlier this year, Kishor had also spoken about how, despite his record, the party persisted with Surjewala as its communications chief.
Either the party leadership was wrong in blaming communication failure or they were wrong in continuing with Surjewala in that post, suggested Kishore, while clarifying that he was not against any individual. The Congress couldn’t do the same thing over and over again and expect different results, he’d said at the time.
Also Read: ‘Why Not For Me?’ Cong leaders question if nation-wide protest justified for ‘Ordinary MP’ Rahul
Tech savvy, poll strategist
Ramesh, a former union minister and one of the masterminds of the Congress’ comeback in 2004 Lok Sabha elections, has an impressive track record as a politician and policymaker.
He enjoys a good rapport with politicians across the ideological and political prism, a quality that will be useful for the Congress’ communication head at a time when regional parties are seeking to dislodge it from its pedestal as the principal opposition party.
A close aide of Rahul Gandhi, Ramesh, 68, also represents a bridge between the so-called Young Turks and the old guard in the Congress, and could be expected to present a common, unified voice. He is also a tech-savvy politician who is equally at ease with both traditional and new mediums of communication.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
Also Read: Congress expels Bishnoi from party posts, ensures his comrade Surjewala’s free pass to Rajya Sabha