The Madhya Pradesh Congress is in turmoil. This follows the release of a new list of 71 district presidents. The reshuffle has led to protests, resignations, and anger in many districts. This includes Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, and Burhanpur.
A major controversy has erupted in Raghogarh. Supporters of former minister Jaivardhan Singh protested late at night. Singh is the son of former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh. He was appointed Guna district president. His supporters feel he has been politically sidelined. They burnt an effigy of state Congress chief Jitu Patwari. They also raised slogans. They claimed Singh's stature had been reduced.
In Bhopal, the reappointment of Praveen Saxena as district president has caused resentment. Former district president Monu Saxena was also a contender. He criticised the decision on social media. He accused the leadership of ignoring Rahul Gandhi's call for fresh organisation building.
The new list is also facing opposition in Indore. This is where Chintu Chouksey and Vipin Wankhede were appointed. Former women's wing chief Sakshi Shukla Daga has expressed her anger on social media. There is also dissatisfaction in Ujjain, where Mahesh Parmar's appointment is opposed. In Satna, workers are unhappy with Siddharth Kushwaha.
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The dissent has already resulted in resignations. Hemant Patil, a district spokesperson, stepped down in protest. In Burhanpur, supporters of senior leader Arun Yadav held a private meeting after they were reportedly denied representation.
According to the list, 21 presidents have been repeated. Out of 71, 37 are from reserved categories. The distribution includes 35 general, 12 OBC, 10 ST, eight SC, four women, and three from minority communities. Importantly, six MLAs, eight former MLAs and three former ministers have been given district-level responsibilities, which has further angered workers who feel grassroots leaders were overlooked.
The appointments were overseen by Rahul Gandhi. However, insiders say former Chief Minister Kamal Nath still has a strong influence. At least ten of his loyalists were included on the new list.
The reshuffle has intensified existing divisions at a time when it was trying to show unity.
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