For the first time in years, the Madhya Pradesh Congress is witnessing rare coordination between the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge and the state party chief. This newfound synergy between AICC’s Madhya Pradesh in-charge, Harish Choudhary and state Congress president, Jitu Patwari, marks a significant shift from the past, when tensions and power struggles frequently plagued the party’s leadership in the state.
Jitu Patwari, who had faced considerable difficulties during the tenure of his predecessor, Jitendra Bhanwar Singh, was rumored to have expressed his dissatisfaction to the party high command, even pushing for a change in leadership. His current rapport with Choudhary, therefore, signals a departure from the strained relationships that had become the norm in recent years.
Even before Jitendra Bhanwar Singh, previous AICC in-charges struggled to establish a productive working equation with the state leadership. During Kamal Nath’s tenure as PCC chief, senior Congress leaders such as Deepak Babaria, Mukul Wasnik, JP Agrawal, and Randeep Singh Surjewala held the position of state in-charge, yet none managed to maintain a smooth relationship with him.
Despite this promising development, Harish Choudhary faces a considerable challenge in navigating the power dynamics within the state unit. Weighing on his mind is the question of how he will manage his interactions with towering party figures such as Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Arun Yadav, and Kantilal Bhuria.
Being relatively junior to these leaders, Choudhary lacks the influence and political heft that his predecessors enjoyed.
His background as a minister in Rajasthan, rather than as a Congress heavyweight at the national level, only adds to the perception that he may struggle to assert his authority over the state’s seasoned leadership. Unlike previous in-charges who were well-connected within the party’s power structure, Choudhary is seen as an outsider with limited access to the high command’s inner circles.
There is growing speculation that he may find it difficult to summon senior leaders for discussions or enforce key decisions. Even after a month in his new role, he is yet to engage with the media to address issues concerning the party’s Madhya Pradesh unit.
However, Madhya Pradesh Congress Media In-charge Mukesh Nayak has assured that Choudhary will soon meet senior leaders and initiate discussions on pressing matters.
Amid these internal challenges, Choudhary has embarked on a strategic tour of the Vindhya region, a crucial political battleground where the Congress suffered heavy losses in the 2023 Assembly elections.
His visit is seen as an attempt to revive the party’s dwindling influence in constituencies where its performance has been particularly weak. In Satna, he held a detailed discussion with former Leader of the Opposition, Ajay Singh, who reportedly shared insights into the factors that contributed to his defeat in the 2018 Assembly elections. Singh’s struggles have been a cause for concern, having also lost two consecutive Lok Sabha elections.
Choudhary’s presence alongside PCC Chief Jitu Patwari and MLA Ajay Singh during this visit underscores the party’s efforts to consolidate its position ahead of future electoral battles.
After covering Satna on Wednesday, he moved to Rewa on Thursday and is set to conclude his tour in Singrauli on Friday.
While the visible camaraderie between the PCC chief and the AICC in-charge is an encouraging sign, the real challenge lies in translating this internal unity into electoral success. Whether Choudhary can bridge the divide between the party’s senior leadership and grassroots workers, while also revitalising its prospects in Madhya Pradesh, remains an open question.
