After the Congress unveiled its list of 71 district presidents Saturday as part of its organisational overhaul in Madhya Pradesh, state party president Jitu Patwari seems to be busy firefighting now amid dissent from the Congress rank and file.
On protests across the state by Congress leaders and workers angry with the list of district presidents, which figures even senior leaders among the new appointees, Patwari told The Indian Express, “There are some leaders who are not able to understand this. We are dispatching the senior-most leaders – from former ministers to Central Election Committee members and national-level leaders – to the district president’s post. Who can take on a (BJP MP) Jyotiraditya Scindia in Gwalior-Chambal? It is JV (Jaivardhan, son of former chief minister Digvijaya Singh). Similarly, we came up with the names of other senior leaders in the area.”
When asked if there were any resignations in the wake of the new appointments, Patwari said, “There have been zero resignations. We have spoken to the leaders who had some issues and they are now all on board.”
Two months after Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi laid the groundwork for the Congress’s revival in Madhya Pradesh, the state unit has unveiled its strategy of strengthening its grassroots organisation by appointing a slew of former ministers, MLAs, and relatives of powerful leaders as the new district Congress committee (DCC) presidents.
Of the 71 DCC chiefs, 21 are repeats, while 50 are new faces. The list includes three former ministers, six sitting MLAs, and 11 former MLAs.
However, with many of the leaders appointed district chiefs harbouring high political ambitions, protests have broken out, yet again exposing deep factional rifts in the state Congress. Since August 16, several public protests, social media tirades, and resignations have brought to the fore the extent of the party’s struggles.
On whether Rahul had the final say in the list, Patwari said, “See Rahul Gandhi had the final say on the senior leaders in the list. But the state organisation and the observers who were sent to analyse and give feedback were also consulted. It was a cooperative decision-making process.”
Factionalism has always plagued the Madhya Pradesh Congress, undermining its ability to mount a serious challenge against the ruling BJP’s formidable organisation.
Former CM Kamal Nath, who had been sidelined since Patwari was appointed state party chief in December 2023, managed to secure 10 district president posts for his loyalists, including for Chhindwara, Jabalpur, and Rewa Rural. Digvijaya’s camp got five key DCC posts, including for Rajgarh district, where his nephew Priyavrat will take charge. Patwari’s allies maintained their hold in the DCCs of five urban centres, including Bhopal and Indore.
When asked if factionalism has prevailed yet again, Patwari claimed that it no longer existed in the party. “There is no factionalism. I led the ‘Sangathan Srijan Abhiyaan (organisational rejuvenation campaign)’ in Madhya Pradesh. We worked on the feedback we got. The best leaders were made district presidents.There was coordination with other leaders. There are zero factions in MP,” he said.
On the resignation of senior Congress leader Suresh Pachauri, who left to join the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Patwari said, “I couldn’t sleep all night, wondering why my workers were leaving, what to do, how to improve.”
“In one year, it has turned around. Our workers are now competing for the district president position. This is a positive sign for the Congress, moving in the right direction. So, I am happy about this. As for those (disgruntled leaders)… it is natural that the party should listen to them with an open mind, assimilate their concerns, and if there is any such issue, we should reassure them and make improvements,” Patwari said.
On Monday, the state unit issued a warning to its district and city leaders to maintain party discipline, cautioning that action will be taken against those airing grievances on social media. Sanjay Kamle, general secretary (organisation), said, “As per the instructions of Pradesh Congress president Shri Jitu Patwari, all concerned individuals have been given a 24-hour deadline. If anti-party or anti-leadership posts or comments are not removed within this period, disciplinary action will be taken against the individuals concerned.”