MP Congress PAC meet on Aug 11 to chart Opposition strategy in Bhopal
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Thursday, 6 August announced that its Political Affairs Committee (PAC) will convene in Bhopal on 11 August to finalise the party's political strategy, sharpen its Opposition role, and frame an action plan on pressing public issues. The meeting signals a coordinated push by the party to regroup after its defeat in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.
Who Will Attend
Speaking at a press conference, Madhya Pradesh Congress media department chairman and former state minister Mukesh Nayak confirmed that former Chief Ministers Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath will attend the meeting, along with PAC members, party general secretaries, and district incharges. The broad representation signals that the party is treating this as a high-stakes organisational exercise, not a routine review.
Grassroots Mobilisation on the Agenda
District Congress presidents, district incharges, and Assembly constituency incharges have been directed to identify local issues and present them alongside state and national concerns. 'Congress workers have been assigned the responsibility of bringing issues from villages, towns and cities before the party so that they can be taken up effectively at every level,' Nayak said. The approach reflects an attempt to rebuild ground-level connect ahead of future electoral cycles.
Congress Targets BJP Over Cooperative Sector
Nayak alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has systematically weakened the cooperative sector by amending the law to install its own nominees as chairpersons of cooperative banks. 'The amendment allows it to appoint nominated chairpersons for an indefinite period, which is against the spirit of cooperative institutions,' he said. The cooperative sector issue is expected to feature prominently in the 11 August PAC deliberations.
Vendetta Politics Allegation
The Congress leader also accused Chief Minister Mohan Yadav-led BJP government of targeting Opposition leaders and their families. Nayak alleged that family members of Jitu Patwari — the state Congress president — were detained by police for several hours, and that businesses linked to Congress leaders are facing punitive action. 'The politics of vendetta was never seen in Madhya Pradesh earlier,' he alleged. The BJP government has not publicly responded to these specific allegations.
What Comes Next
The 11 August PAC meeting will be closely watched as an indicator of whether the Madhya Pradesh Congress can present a unified leadership front. With both Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath — whose relationship has at times been strained — expected at the table, the party's ability to close internal ranks will be as consequential as any strategy document it produces.