Rahul Gandhi’s initiative to directly engage with District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents across the country, including those from Madhya Pradesh, is being viewed by political observers as a challenging endeavor with uncertain outcomes. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has been organising meetings of DCC presidents from different states in New Delhi as part of an effort to revitalise party at the grassroots level.

The Madhya Pradesh DCC presidents are scheduled to convene at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi on April 3, where they will be addressed by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.

However, the political sphere within the Madhya Pradesh Congress presents a formidable obstacle to this effort.

Instead of being unified under the party’s ideology, DCC presidents in the state are largely aligned with different factions led by senior Congress leaders. This deep-rooted factionalism has long plagued the Madhya Pradesh Congress, and analysts believe it undermines the very objective of strengthening the organisation.

Out of the 72 DCC presidents in Madhya Pradesh, only a handful are considered close to state Congress president Jitu Patwari. The majority owe their allegiance to veteran leaders such as Digvijay Singh and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath.

Additionally, former PCC chief Arun Yadav and former Union Minister Kantilal Bhuria have their own loyalists within the DCC ranks. This internal divide has made it difficult for the Congress leadership to establish a cohesive and unified front in the state.

Political experts argue that for the party to regain its strength, DCC presidents must prioritise loyalty to the Congress ideology over personal allegiance to veteran leaders.

Speaking to The Pioneer, former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Aslam Sher Khan lamented the erosion of the party’s foundational

principles. He emphasised that the Congress, once synonymous with India’s freedom movement, has now become entangled in factional battles that hinder its progress.

“For the Congress to move forward in Madhya Pradesh, party workers must be committed to the ideology rather than to individual leaders. Until this factionalism is addressed, the party will continue to struggle in the state,” Khan stated.

Despite the challenges, the AICC’s initiative underscores an attempt to bridge these divides and rejuvenate the party’s district-level leadership. However, whether this outreach will yield tangible results or be lost in the labyrinth of internal rivalries remains to be seen. For now, the road to strengthening the Congress in Madhya Pradesh appears to be as much about addressing factional loyalties as it is about organizational restructuring.

Despite the challenges, the AICC’s initiative underscores an attempt to bridge these divides and rejuvenate the party’s district-level leadership.

However, whether this outreach will yield tangible results or be lost in the labyrinth of internal rivalries remains to be seen.

For now, the road to strengthening the Congress in Madhya Pradesh appears to be as much about addressing factional loyalties as it is about organisational restructuring.