MP’s new executive body highlights Digvijaya Singh and Jitu Patwari’s influence, sidelining Kamal Nath’s supporters.
New Delhi: After the Congress high command approved the much-awaited executive body for Madhya Pradesh, the party insiders claim that most of the appointments on important positions have been influenced by the two top leaders, former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh and the current state unit president Jitu Patwari.
An office bearer of the Congress in the state said, “There are 17 vice presidents, and 71 general secretaries appointed this time. Jitu Patwari has around eight of his loyalists adjusted and Digvijaya Singh has around half a dozen leaders in the list of vice presidents. According to the names, there is not much influence practiced by Kamal Nath in the appointments. Even his son Nakul Nath does not have any official position in the first list of executive body. On the other hand, Digvijaya Singh’s son Jaivardhan Singh has been made vice president. By this composition of leaders, it is evident that Jitu Patwari has taken along Digvijaya Singh, as he has a lot of political networks in the state and without him being onboard, it would have been difficult for Patwari to run the body smoothly.”
According to party insiders, when there were speculations about Kamal Nath jumping the ship and that he was ready to join BJP, it was because Nakul Nath had started to reach out to BJP and showed interest to be the part of the saffron camp.
A party insider said, “That is why he was not given that much importance in the executive body.”
While Kamal Nath is seen to have been sidelined by the Gandhis, the recent photograph showing Rahul Gandhi and Nath in one frame stirred speculations that Nath might be given a top position at the AICC. However, according to a top source, the meeting between the two leaders was set up by Priyanka Gandhi after the Nath had requested her to arrange a meeting and has nothing to do with the discussion of ascension of Nath in the party.
The source added, “Nath had taken two photographs with Rahul as well as Priyanka after he met the Gandhi siblings. But he uploaded only one photograph and that is with Rahul Gandhi. Then his public relations team tried to amplify it so much that the rank and file started thinking that Nath could come back as a prime leader in the Congress and may be given a high position in the party. But that was just an act to amplify his image which has taken a hit after defeat in Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. It seems like he wants to regain his political capital by posting such picks.”
Moreover, according to a section of office bearers, there is anger against the list among the leaders as they are unhappy with the positions they have been given. To add to it, there are already around half a dozen leaders who have openly spoken against the list. However, a Congress spokesperson in the state said, there is not as much anger as was there against the executive list that had come before this, when there was another president in the state.
He said, “Again when Kamal Nath was the president of the party in the state, he would make anyone and everyone an office bearer. He had openly assured to everyone that whosoever wanted a post, he would be given the post. As a result, there were office bearers in thousands.
Even spokespersons were in hundreds in the state. This had diluted the dignity that comes along with every post. There may be some people wanting to continue that practice, but that is totally a foolish thing to continue with. The hierarchy will again get scattered the way it was before when the Kamal Nath was helming the state affairs. Therefore, with the current composition of the leaders, we are expecting that our street politics gets revived.”