Daijiworld Media Network - Bhopal

Bhopal, Aug 17: The Madhya Pradesh Congress is in turmoil after releasing its long-awaited list of 71 district presidents on Saturday, sparking protests, resignations, and dissent from Bhopal to Indore, Ujjain, and Burhanpur.

The most visible unrest erupted in Raghogarh, where supporters of former minister Jaivardhan Singh, son of ex-CM Digvijay Singh, staged late-night protests. Singh, appointed Guna district president, is seen as politically sidelined, with his supporters burning an effigy of state Congress chief Jitu Patwari.

In Bhopal, the reappointment of Praveen Saxena triggered backlash from former district president Monu Saxena, who accused the leadership of ignoring Rahul Gandhi’s call for fresh organisational building. Similar dissent surfaced in Indore, where new city president Chintu Chouksey and district president Vipin Wankhede faced criticism, and in Ujjain (rural) and Satna, over appointments of Mahesh Parmar and Siddharth Kushwaha.

Resignations followed, including Hemant Patil, district spokesperson and president of the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Cell. In Burhanpur, supporters of senior leader Arun Yadav held a closed-door meeting after being denied representation.

The list shows 21 repeat presidents and 37 appointments from reserved categories: 35 general, 12 OBC, 10 ST, eight SC, four women, and three minorities. Six MLAs, eight former MLAs, and three ex-ministers received district-level responsibilities, angering grassroots leaders.

While finalized under Rahul Gandhi’s supervision, former CM Kamal Nath retains influence, with at least 10 loyalists included. With prominent names like Omkar Singh Markam, Jaivardhan Singh, Nilay Daga, and Priyavrat Singh, the reshuffle has deepened factional divides rather than fostering unity.

The MP Congress now faces renewed internal unrest just as it sought to project cohesion.