Congress in disarray? Blows traded outside Madhya Pradesh party office suggest all is not well

Bhopal: Two Congress office bearers were seen on Monday thrashing each other outside the PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) office in Bhopal. This high-voltage drama in public view apparently seems to suggest that the Congress house is in total disarray in the state.

The party caught a lucky break despite the embarassment caused by the unruly members since only a handful of people and party workers were there at that point when, usually, the place is abuzz with media presence.

The party has, nonetheless, taken the matter seriously and issued a notice to both the office-bearers for compliance within a week. The Congress also considered the action by state president of SC wing Pradeep Ahirwar and the spokesperson Shahryar Khan as indecent and attributive to indiscipline.

The notice issued by state party vice-president Rajiv Singh stated that the irresponsible behaviour by the two office bearers had tarnished the party's image.

"You are a responsible office bearer of the party and this act of yours comes under the category of indiscipline," the notice states. Both officials have been asked to reply to the notice within seven days. While Khan was removed from his post as spokesperson, Ahriwar has been served with a notice for compliance within a week.

The party office bearers were reportedly having a meeting at the state party office on Monday afternoon. During the course of discussion, the matter of the party's debacle in the recent assembly election also figured, leading to a heated exchange between two office bearers which devolved to blows.

In the ensuing tussle, Khan fell to the ground. Spokespersons Piyush Babele and Awadhesh Bundela, who were also present helped defuse the crises with timely intervention.

Later responding to DH Bundela said that the two leaders have reconciled and there was no big issue. He clarified that the trigger was an instant reaction over some matter.    

Ahirwar had joined the Congress after quitting the BSP before the Assembly election. He contended that he was bullied with indecent remarks by Khan in the meeting, who purportedly called him an 'outsider' and used 'foul language'.

Khan, for his part, was irked by remarks made against senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh. Ahirwar allegedly attributed the party's defeat in the recent Assembly election to Singh.

Meanwhile senior Congress leaders, on the condition of anonymity, said that all is not well in the state congress which is deeply embroiled in factionalism.

There is apparently a divide among leaders and satraps controlling different regions like Digvijay Singh, Kamal Nath, Ramniwas Rawat, Ajay Singh, Kantilal Bhuria, Arun Yadav, Suresh Pachori and now Jitu Patwari and Umang Singhar.

Until recently only two senior leaders, Diggy and Nath, were at the helm of state affairs. Nath led from the front while Diggy managed and controlled everything including mending ties with disgruntled leaders in the background. However, the infusion of new people directly handpicked by Rahul Gandhi such as Jitu Patwari as PCC chief and Umang Singhar as LOP in assembly to regain control of the party affairs, seems to suggest a transitional shift in the party's state politics.

The old horses, including Diggy and Nath — portrayed as 'Bantadhar' and 'Corruption Nath' by BJP — are facing many challenges from within and without.

Digvijaya Singh's brother and former MLA Laxman Singh allegedly fired yet another salvo saying the party need to answer whether the party affairs should be conducted in accordance with the party workers or as per touts. He went on to add that blaming EVMs and its hacking or manipulation is not justified. Without naming anyone, Laxman Singh said he felt bad when someone is labelled 'Bantadhar'.

Earlier Digvijay Singh in the press conference, in Bhopal, on January 24 alleged the manipulation of EVM and also doubted the ECI's impartiality.

Political commentators noted, that instead of regrouping after the assembly poll debacle, the Congress is still a divided house and PCC chief Jitu Patwari does not seem to be in full control of party affairs.

The party high command in Delhi has also signalled a transitional shift in approach with the appointment of Patwari and Singhar to replace the old guard with fresh faces.

The clamour is likely to get even louder in the buildup against old satraps during the next course of the Rajya Sabha election schedule in February, they claimed.