Minister says state Congress weak, needs Jyotiraditya Scindia as PCC chief

Bhopal: Factionalism has reared up again in Madhya Pradesh Congress, almost as soon as a buzz started that announcement of the new PCC chief was imminent. Minister for animal husbandry Lakhan Singh Yadav on Tuesday pitched for Jyotiraditya Scindia as the state party chief, saying he will strengthen the party.

Criticising the current party organisation, headed by CM Kamal Nath, Yadav said: “Congress may be in power but its organisation is weak. A lot of hard work is required to strengthen it. Whoever becomes the next state Congress president will need to toil hard.” Scindia would be the ideal choice, he felt. “Jyotiraditya Scindia is young. If he becomes state Congress president, then the organization will gain strength,” he remarked.

Yadav is legislator from Bhitarwar assembly seat in Gwalior and is known to belong to Scindia’s camp. His statement comes at a time when local party leaders expect AICC president Sonia Gandhi to appoint a new state Congress president in the wake of the emphatic Jhabua bypoll victory.

Reacting to the minister’s statement, state Congress media department vice-president Abhay Dubey said, “The Congress government is working diligently, and the party organization is gaining strength simultaneously. This has been recognized by chief minister Kamal Nath. The party’s victory in Jhabua confirms that the organization is gaining strength. As far as appointment of state Congress president is concerned, it will be decided by the AICC president.”

The party central leadership has twice tried to appoint a PCC chief in the last six months, but intense faction fights broke out each time.

Nath was made PCC chief in May last year, just six months before the 2018 assembly elections. He led the party to a historic win, and was sworn in as chief minister on December 17 last year. Immediately, he offered to step down as PCC chief, but then AICC president Rahul Gandhi asked him to continue since Lok Sabha elections were around the corner. After the Lok Sabha debacle, Nath again offered to quit as PCC chief, telling mediapersons in June: “It is now time for a new state Congress president.”

A list was drawn up, discussions were held and a tribal minister’s name was nearly finalized after a meeting between Rahul and Kamal Nath, say sources. But a senior Congress leader from MP did not agree with the choice. Meanwhile, Rahul resigned as AICC president, and mass resignations of Congress leaders followed, taking collective responsibility for the Lok Sabha rout. The process of appointment of a new PCC chief resumed in August, after Sonia’s return at the helm. Immediately, pressure began mounting from ministers of the Scindia camp — Imarti Devi and Pradyumn Singh Tomar. The ‘Thakur lobby’ also showed its might, backing Digvijaya Singh and Ajay Singh.

Unpleasant fights followed, with minister for forests Umang Singhar openly accusing Digvijaya Singh of “running the government from behind the screens”. Things got so ugly that Digvijaya and Singhar were summoned to New Delhi. The result: while Haryana Congress got a new PCC chief in Kumari Selja, Kamal Nath was asked to continue as MP party chief for some more time. Now, there is a third attempt to appoint a PCC chief, and factionalism is back.