The announcement of much-awaited PCC executive has failed to please the party’s regional satraps and is likely to trigger more disquiet in an already demoralised Congress in Madhya Pradesh.
leading the pack is Bhopal North MlA Arif Aqueel who threatens to quit the party. Indication is that Aqueel may join Asaduddin Owaisi's MIM (All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen). Aqueel is likely to announce his decision to quit as Congress MlA on Monday.
The new Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) announced on Friday has surprised many.
The body was announced after one year and a half when PCC chief Arun Yadav assumed office in January 2014. The change of guard in the PCC had come into effect after the party's defeat in 2013 Assembly polls.
Since then, the party got defeated in the lok Sabha, urban bodies elections and panchayat polls, besides the by-elections held so far. The introspections held so far towards the reasons behind the defeats, it was found that infighting was at the centre, but the Congress party did not take any step towards changing the ways.
Passing through all the defeats in almost all the levels, PCC chief Arun Yadav took around 20 months to form his new team. In the team announced on Friday, former Union Ministers Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia supporters got adequate space, while AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh and former PCC chief Suresh Pachouri loyalists have been sidelined.
left out of new PCC, Aqueel may quit Cong Most of the senior party leaders who were defeated in the lok Sabha elections have been rewarded with the post of vice-president. They include Indrajeet Patel, Govind Singh, Raja Pateriya, Premchand Guddu, Ashok Singh, Govind Singh Rajput, and Narayan Amlave. Similarly, those lost parliamentary polls in 2009, Surendra Singh Thakur and Rameshwar Neekhra have also been made vice- presidents.
The appointment of former MlA PC Sharma as general secretary in the party was surprising as he was the only leader who had been working hard at ground level for decades. His appointment as general secretary has signaled that now, new district president would be appointed in Bhopal.
The only legislator of the Congress from Bhopal Arif Aqeel failed to get space in the PCC, while senior leader Manak Agrawal, who always remained in the limelight by working in the interest of the party has been marginalized this time.