MP Congress questions CM Mohan Yadav retaining Animal Husbandry portfolio
Synopsis
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari has called out CM Mohan Yadav for retaining the Animal Husbandry portfolio after a Cabinet reshuffle — citing government's own Assembly data showing 237 stray cattle road accidents, 94 deaths, and 133 injuries in two years. The challenge cuts to the heart of BJP's cow-welfare politics versus its governance record.
Key Takeaways
MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari wrote an open letter to CM Mohan Yadav on 16 July questioning his decision to retain the Animal Husbandry and Cow Welfare Department .
Patharia MLA Lakhan Patel was initially allotted the portfolio after the Cabinet expansion before the CM revised the allocation.
Government's own Assembly data shows 237 stray cattle road accidents in the past two years , causing 94 deaths and injuring 133 people .
Patwari alleged gaushalas face shortages of fodder, drinking water, and veterinary care across the state.
Congress demanded a gaushala status disclosure, relief package for livestock rearers, a time-bound stray cattle action plan, and crop-loss compensation for farmers.
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari on Thursday, 16 July challenged Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's decision to retain the Animal Husbandry and Cow Welfare Department following the recent Cabinet expansion, asserting the move would be meaningful only if it translated into measurable improvements on the ground. Patwari addressed his concerns in an open letter to the Chief Minister, demanding a concrete road map on stray cattle management and gaushala welfare.
The Cabinet Reshuffle That Sparked the Row
The controversy follows the expansion of the Mohan Yadav Cabinet, during which Patharia MLA Lakhan Patel was inducted as a Minister of State with independent charge. Patel was initially allotted the Animal Husbandry and Cow Welfare Department after the swearing-in ceremony. However, the state government subsequently revised the portfolio allocation, with Chief Minister Yadav choosing to retain the department under his own charge — a decision that drew immediate criticism from the opposition.
What Patwari Said
'It is surprising that you have decided to keep the Animal Husbandry and Cow Welfare Department with yourself. While allocation of departments is the Chief Minister's prerogative, the people want to know whether retaining the department will also change the condition of the sector,' Patwari wrote in his open letter.
He argued that several departments already held by the Chief Minister had failed to meet public expectations, and questioned whether the Animal Husbandry portfolio would fare any differently. Patwari further alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had long projected cow protection as a core political issue while allowing gaushalas and cattle to remain neglected in practice.
The Stray Cattle Crisis: Numbers From the Assembly
Patwari cited figures presented by the state government in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, pointing out that 237 road accidents involving stray cattle had occurred over the past two years, resulting in 94 deaths and injuries to 133 people. 'These are not merely statistics but a record of administrative failure,' he said.
He also alleged that gaushalas across the state continue to face acute shortages of fodder, drinking water, and veterinary care, while livestock farming has grown increasingly unviable due to rising input costs and inadequate government support.
Congress Demands: Four-Point Action Plan
In his open letter, Patwari outlined a four-point demand: disclosure of the actual condition of gaushalas across the state; announcement of a relief package for livestock rearers; a time-bound action plan to resolve the stray cattle menace; and compensation for farmers whose crops have been damaged by stray cattle. He emphasised that citizens were not concerned with which minister held which portfolio, but with whether governance would actually improve.
What Comes Next
The BJP-led state government has not issued a formal response to Patwari's open letter as of Thursday. With the stray cattle issue touching both road safety and agrarian livelihoods, the political pressure on Chief Minister Yadav to demonstrate tangible action on the department he has chosen to personally oversee is likely to intensify in the coming weeks.
Point of View
But Patwari's use of the government's own Assembly data — 94 deaths in two years from stray cattle accidents — turns that asset into a liability. By personally retaining the Animal Husbandry portfolio, CM Yadav has raised the political stakes: any further deterioration in gaushala conditions or stray cattle fatalities now lands directly at his door. The Congress is shrewdly framing this not as a portfolio dispute but as a governance accountability test — one the BJP cannot easily deflect with ideological messaging alone.
NationPress
16 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Jitu Patwari write an open letter to CM Mohan Yadav?
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari wrote an open letter to CM Mohan Yadav on 16 July challenging his decision to retain the Animal Husbandry and Cow Welfare Department after the Cabinet expansion. Patwari argued the move would be meaningful only if it resulted in concrete improvements, citing stray cattle accidents and poor gaushala conditions.
What happened during the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet expansion?
During the recent Cabinet expansion, Patharia MLA Lakhan Patel was sworn in as a Minister of State with independent charge and initially allotted the Animal Husbandry and Cow Welfare Department. The state government subsequently revised the allocation, with CM Mohan Yadav choosing to retain the department himself.
How many accidents have been caused by stray cattle in Madhya Pradesh?
According to figures presented by the state government in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, 237 road accidents involving stray cattle occurred over the past two years. These accidents resulted in 94 deaths and injuries to 133 people.
What did Congress demand from CM Mohan Yadav on cow welfare?
Congress demanded four specific actions: public disclosure of the actual condition of gaushalas across the state, a relief package for livestock rearers, a time-bound action plan to address the stray cattle problem, and compensation for farmers affected by cattle-related crop losses.
What is the BJP's position on cow welfare in Madhya Pradesh?
The BJP has projected cow protection as a major political issue for years. However, Congress has alleged that under the party's rule, gaushalas continue to face shortages of fodder, drinking water, and veterinary care, and that livestock farming has become increasingly unviable due to rising costs and inadequate state support.
