New Delhi, Jul 12 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday appointed MP Deepak Baij as the president of its Chhattisgarh unit, replacing Mohan Markam.

The replacement comes ahead of the state Assembly polls due later in the year.

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"The Congress president has appointed Deepak Baij, MP, as president of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect," an official communication from the party said.

"The party appreciates the contribution of the outgoing PCC president Mohan Markam, MLA," the order issued by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal read.

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Baij was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Bastar constituency in Chhattisgarh.

Markam was appointed as the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief in June 2019 and was due to be replaced. He is an MLA from the Kondagaon constituency.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)