Mixed reaction to Pachouri’s appointment

Bhopal, Feb 13: There is mixed reaction in the Madhya Pradesh Congress over appointment of Union Minister Suresh Pachouri as state Congress president. Majority of congressmen are happy that a new chief in election year will provide sense of direction, but sense of dismay prevailed in Member of Parliament Jyotiraditya Scindia camp.

Change of guard was expected in the state Congress for a long time. As Rajya Sabha tenure of Suresh Pachouri was completing in April, he had become the front runner for the post. Sources said that both Union Minister Kamal Nath and AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh camps had been backing demand of Pachouri’s appointment. However, Scindia camp is keeping mum over this appointment and not decided about the reaction. Scindia supporters claimed factually Scindia has emerged as popular leader in the state and if he is not taken along, it would be quite difficult for Congress to win the forth coming assembly elections.

While talking to media persons in New Delhi, Pachouri has already stated that all the party leaders would work along to win assembly election in the state. Now, it is expected that the Pachouri would maintain the same equation which Subhash Yadav had with Scindia. Ironically, the fact was Yadav despite having led a defunct Congress, kept the party alive in the state with the help of Scindia. However, it is believed that Pachouri’s appointment would give the AICC respite from the differences between different groups of senior leaders.

Political observers believe that at this moment, when Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is concentrating on Brahmins, this is the right move of AICC to appoint a Brahmin leader in Madhya Pradesh. This is for the first time, when the Congress has come out with the convention strategy of balancing castes in the state. Subhash Yadav, who was removed, belonged to OBC. This decision has also left the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) helpless. Pachouri has strong acceptance in the state, which was evident in past four years as the Congress won several civic body and panchayat elections with his influence.