Digvijaya Singh removed as Goa, Karnataka in-charge

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) The Congress on Saturday replaced General Secretary Digvijaya Singh as in-charge of poll-bound Karnataka as well as Goa, where it failed to form government despite emerging as the single-largest party.

The charge of Karnataka has been given to party MP K.C. Venugopal, who has been appointed a General Secretary while Chella Kumar has been named in charge of Goa.

A press release issued by the party said that four party Secretaries - Manickam Tagore, P.C. Vishnunadh, Madhu Yashki Goud and Sake Sailjanath - will assist Venugopal.

"Congress President Sonia Gandhi has assigned the task of looking after Karnataka and Goa affairs to new AICC teams," a Congress release said.

Elections will be held to the Karnataka assembly in the first half of 2018. The Congress is in power in the state.

The release said that party Secretary Amit Deshmukh will assist Chella Kumar.

The Congress failed to form the government in Goa despite emerging as the largest single party after the assembly elections and the BJP, which had won lesser seats, managed to retain power with the help of smaller parties.

Digvijaya Singh faced flak for the outcome while Manohar Parrikar, who gave up the Defence Minister's post to go back to Goa and become the Chief Minister, "thanked" him for failing to cobble up a majority.

Newly-elected legislator Vishwajit Rane, son of senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane, who had quit the party over the failure to form a government and joined the BJP, had also accused Digvijaya Singh for committing blunders.