New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) Senior Congress leader Mohsina Kidwai was Wednesday elected chairperson of the Haj Committee of India, a government panel that makes arrangements for the Muslim pilgrimage to the holy cities of Makkah and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

Hasan Ahmed and Aboo Bucker were elected vice chairmen at the meeting of the newly constituted committee, according to a statement by the ministry of external affairs.

Kidwai is a Congress general secretary.

'The ministry of external affairs, which is the nodal authority for administering the Haj Committee Act, 2002, convened the first meeting of the Haj Committee to elect a chairperson and two vice chairpersons,' the statement said.