Congress faces rift in Malwa region

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

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 is out of power in the state for the past 15 years.

The state Congress committee admitted that ‘there was some problem’ in the region but said the issue had been sorted out.

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 resignation letters are said to be close to former MP Meenakshi Natrajan.

The coordination committee was constituted a few days ago and is headed by former chief minister Digvijaya Singh.

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

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. Gurjar also alleged that later, Gautam worked against him when he contested the state assembly elections from Mandsaur seat in 2013.

Gurjar claimed that more than half a dozen block Congress committee presidents and about a dozen Mandlam 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.

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.”

She added that the entire party was busy working for Gandhi’s rally.

BHOPAL/NEEMUCH: