Congress faces rift as leaders quit in Madhya Pradesh’s Malwa

The resignations have caused a flutter in the state unit as Congress president Rahul Gandhi is set to visit Mandsaur on June 6 to blow the bugle for the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh later this year.

Several Congress leaders and workers in Mandsaur, Neemuch and Ratlam in the Malwa region have quit over the past two days to protest against the induction of a leader from Mandsaur in the state Congress’ coordination committee, a party member said.

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and President of Indian National Congress, Rahul Gandhi, during the All India Congress Committee is organizing a Ceremony of Remembrance to mark the 27th Anniversary of the Martydom of Shri Rajiv Gandhi, at Vir Bhumi, in New Delhi. (HT File PPhoto)

The Mandsaur leader, Rajendra Singh Gautam, was once expelled from the party for contesting the Lok Sabha election in 2009 as a rebel candidate.

The resignations have caused a flutter in the state unit as Congress president Rahul Gandhi is set to visit Mandsaur on June 6 to blow the bugle for the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh later this year.

The Congress has been out of power in the state for 15 years.

Mahendra Gurjar, who resigned from the post of vice-president of the district Congress committee, said Congress workers were upset with Gautam’s induction.

Gurjar claimed that more than half a dozen block Congress committee presidents and about a dozen Mandalam committee presidents in Neemuch, Mandsaur and Ratlam had submitted their resignation to the party and there were more than six other Congress leaders who resigned in Neemuch.

State Congress media incharge Manak Agrawal said, “The issue has been sorted out. All party leaders and workers are engaged in the task of making preparations for Gandhi’s rally.”

Those who have submitted their resignations are said to be close to former MP Meenakshi Natrajan.

Gurjar said Gautam contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections as a rebel candidate against Natrajan, who was the party’s official nominee, and was thus expelled for six years.

While Gautam refused to comment on the issue, Natrajan said:

“This is the party’s internal issue and I don’t comment on the party’s differences and internal issues before the media.”