Is Madhya Pradesh Congress Facing Internal Turmoil as Ex-Minister Kamaleshwar Patel Speaks Out?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Factionalism within Congress is a pressing concern.
- Patel urges leadership to focus on unity.
- Ajay Singh's visit to Digvijaya Singh raises political eyebrows.
- Both leaders hail from the Sidhi district.
- Recent electoral outcomes for both leaders contrast sharply.
Bhopal, Sep 16 (NationPress) The former minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Kamleshwar Patel voiced his discontent regarding the increasing factional disputes within the Congress party's Madhya Pradesh unit on Monday. In a pointed critique towards the Congress in-charge for the state, Harish Choudhary, Patel charged him with engaging in "groupism" and exhibiting "bias".
Patel claimed that rather than fostering unity among leaders, Choudhary has assumed an authoritative role within the party. "Groupism has always been part of competitive politics, but it should not escalate to this extent... Harish Choudhary's duty is to facilitate coordination among leaders, not dominate the party," Patel remarked while addressing a media inquiry about the increasing factionalism within the Congress.
He urged state Congress president Jitu Patwari and Choudhary to take cognizance of this problem. Patel emphasized that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have entrusted them with significant responsibilities, and they should act accordingly. "Disagreements among leaders are inevitable in politics. I encourage Harish Choudhary and Jitu Patwari to seek common ground among all leaders. The party has entrusted both of you to lead the state unit," he added.
In an intriguing turn of events, another senior Congress leader, Ajay Singh 'Rahul', made a surprising visit to the residence of former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal on the same day. Notably, this was significant as Ajay Singh, the son of the late former Chief Minister Arjun Singh, had not seen Digvijaya Singh for several years, making his visit to Shyamlal Hills in Bhopal a topic of intense political speculation.
It is pertinent to note that both Kamleshwar Patel and Ajay Singh hail from the Sidhi district in the Vindhya region of Madhya Pradesh, with their longstanding political rivalry often being a subject of discussion.
Interestingly, Ajay Singh, who faced defeat in the Assembly elections from his family's stronghold of Churhat in 2018, successfully secured a victory in 2023. In contrast, Kamleshwar, who triumphed in 2018 and served as a cabinet minister in Kamal Nath's 18-month administration, lost in the Sihawal seat in 2023.