The Congress gave its Bihar unit a shake-up ahead of the Assembly elections by replacing Rajya Sabha member Akhilesh Prasad Singh with MLA Rajesh Kumar as the state president.

The move, made “with immediate effect” late on Tuesday evening on the instructions of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, startled both allies and opponents alike.

It highlighted the Grand Old Party’s determination to break free from the shadow of Lalu Prasad and his Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and take the road to redemption.

Hints of an imminent change had surfaced during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Patna in February. This was followed by the appointment of Krishna Allavaru from Karnataka as the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Bihar.

“Akhilesh failed to deliver the desired performance in the Lok Sabha polls. Moreover, his image was that of a leader loyal to RJD chief Lalu Prasad... Lalu often publicly boasted that he had sent him (Akhilesh) to the Rajya Sabha,” a senior Bihar Congress leader and former MLA told The Telegraph.

Rajesh Kumar’s name had been under consideration for an important role in the party for the past few years. He has been an MLA from the Kutumba constituency in Aurangabad district since 2015.

“Rajesh is well-educated, soft-spoken, and a suave person. He hails from the Dalit community. Giving him command of the Bihar unit will certainly have a positive impact on the Scheduled Castes in the state. He also fits well into Rahul Gandhi’s vision, which focuses on Dalits, tribals, backward classes, and minorities,” another Congress leader said.

After his elevation, Rajesh met Kharge and Rahul in Delhi and vowed to work towards strengthening the party in Bihar.