Factionalism and leadership crisis are escalating within the Madhya Pradesh Congress. Rahul Gandhi, during his Bhopal visit, advised party leaders to work unitedly and identify BJP sympathizers.
MP News: The Congress party in Madhya Pradesh has been grappling with factionalism and a leadership crisis for a considerable time. Recently, during a visit to Bhopal, former party president and Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, explicitly advised state Congress leaders to end internal bickering. He emphasized the need to identify individuals within the party who are secretly aiding the BJP. This b message from Rahul Gandhi reflects the concerning ground realities within the Madhya Pradesh Congress.
Rahul Gandhi's Bhopal Visit and Message on Strengthening the Organization
On June 3rd, Rahul Gandhi spent approximately five hours in Bhopal, launching the party's 'Sangathan Srijana Abhiyan' (Organizational Creation Campaign). He clearly instructed Congress leaders on the critical need to eliminate factionalism. He stated that decisions would not be imposed from above but would require collective decision-making among leaders. Rahul Gandhi also reiterated the importance of identifying leaders who are assisting the BJP. He clarified that the party would place the right individuals in the right positions to strengthen the Congress's forward momentum.
Rahul Gandhi also highlighted the increased importance of District Congress Committees in candidate selection for Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, and local body elections. This move is considered a significant effort towards strengthening the Congress organization.
Ground Realities of Congress in Madhya Pradesh
The Congress party's situation in Madhya Pradesh is far from ideal. In the 2018 Assembly elections, the Congress formed a government under Kamal Nath's leadership after a 15-year hiatus, but this government lasted only 15 months. Subsequently, the party faced a resounding defeat in the 2023 elections, winning only 66 out of 230 seats. This represented a significant drop in seats compared to the previous election, despite only a marginal one percent decrease in vote share.
The Congress's performance in Lok Sabha elections has also been disappointing. In 2019, the party lost its sole seat, Chhindwara. In the 2024 elections, the Congress saw its vote share plummet to 32.9 percent, a decline from previous performances. This consistent decrease in vote share and number of seats is a major concern for the Madhya Pradesh Congress.
Factionalism Weakening the Organization
The biggest problem facing the Madhya Pradesh Congress is factionalism. Several leaders, including Kamal Nath, Digvijay Singh, Suresh Pachauri, and Ajay Singh Rahul, are divided into different factions. This infighting has severely weakened the party from within. Even after the defeats in previous elections, factionalism has persisted. Changes in state presidents and in-charges have yielded no positive results.
Before the Lok Sabha elections, state president Jitu Patwari described factionalism as the party's "cancer," stating that internal conflict must be resolved before the party can be revived. Similar statements have been made by many other party leaders, who consider this issue the primary reason for the Congress's defeats.
