Scindia loyalist being sidelined in MP

Bhopal, Jan 04: State Congress president Subhash Yadav is packing the state Congress with his loyalists as AICC chief Sonia Gandhi in last two years has not given a go-ahead to Yadav to form PCC executive due to factionalism. Senior leaders like Member of Parliament Jyotiraditya Scindia are feeling the heat as their supporters are not getting any place in the committee.

Since, election year has commenced in Madhya Pradesh, Scindia camp and other regional leaders like Leader of the Opposition Jamuna Devi, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh and Union Ministers Arjun Singh and Suresh Pachouri camps want loyalty to be rewarded in the election year. Subhash has recently declared list of presidents to four departments out of eight, and 14 cells out of 16. Surprisingly, Scindia supporters could not get space in the appointments. Most of them are loyal to Subhash himself, while two posts were allotted to Arjun Singh supporters and one each to loyalists of Suresh Pachouri, Digvijay Singh and Ajay Singh.

Party sources claimed that Scindia has been shoring up Subhash for continuing in the office with the help of AICC chief and AICC general secretary V Narayan Sami. Even I the recently held by-election in Khargone, Scindia was the only star campaigner, which helped Subhash in wining the constituency for his son Arun. Political observers believe that despite having stronghold in Nimarh region, Subhash has lost public appeal in recent years. Since, he is unable to communicate properly; the party workers faced problems in organizing his public meetings.

Besides overlooking Scindia loyalists in the state, Subhash has also started sidelining two leaders- former minister Mahendra Singh Kalukheda and party general secretary Brijmohan Shrivastava for building image of Scindia during the by-elections. Shrivastava was election in-charge in Sanwer constituency where Scindia loyalist was contesting, while Mahendra Singh was in-charge in Gwalior by-election. In order to put a check on all the general secretaries, Subhash appointed Manohar Bairagi as president of media cell. The recent appointment of state Congress general secretary Arif Masood also created a controversy, as he was involved in anti-party activities.