Ahead of Rahul Gandhi rally, cracks in Madhya Pradesh state Congress ranks

BHOPAL: A Fortnight ahead of Congress national president Rahul Gandhi’s address of a public rally on the first anniversary of the death of six farmers in police firing in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh on June 6, cracks have surfaced with the party’s ranks in the West MP district.

Annoyed over the central party leadership nominating former party rebel Rajendra Singh Gautam as a member of the Digvijaya Singh-led MP State Congress’ Coordination Committee, a clutch of local leaders have reportedly tendered their resignation from organisational posts in the party.

These leaders include Mandsaur district party vice-president Mahendra Singh Gurjar and district women Congress head Babita Singh Tomar. They were considered close to ex-Lok Sabha member Meenakshi Natarajan. Even Hardeep Singh Dang, the party legislator from Suvasara seat, who happens to be the lone Congress MLA from Mandsaur and Neemuch districts, has resigned as MP Congress Committee delegate, demanding that Natarajan be made part of party’s decision-making process pertaining to Mandsaur-Neemuch.

The reported resignation spree started on Tuesday, with Gurjar stepping down from his post to protest the party high command’s decision to nominate Gautam among the 13 members of Digvijaya Singh-headed MP Congress’ Coordination Committee constituted on the same day.

“How can the party include a man like Rajendra Singh Gautam on such an important committee of State Congress, overlooking the fact that he had been expelled from the party in 2009 for six years for anti-party activities,” asked Gurjar, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2013 assembly polls from Mandsaur.

Gautam had contested the Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate in 2009 against Natarajan, the party’s authorised candidate from Mandsaur, after which he was expelled for six years.

Four years later, Gautam had backed independent candidate Ashia Bi against Gurjar, the party’s official candidate, in 2013 assembly elections.

Gautam, however, was re-inducted into the party in May 2017 following efforts of the former state minister and Mungaoli MLA Mahendra Singh Kalukheda.

“Its not only a handful of Congress leaders ... but around 100 local leaders too have quit from their posts against Gautam’s induction,” said Gurjar. According to unconfirmed reports, Natrajan herself has offered to quit from all party posts.