Anger, Protests After Rahul Gandhi's Big Reshuffle In Madhya Pradesh Congress

A major organizational reshuffle by the Madhya Pradesh Congress, said to have been personally overseen by Rahul Gandhi, has unexpectedly plunged the party into controversy and internal unrest. 
After months of deliberation, the Congress released its long-awaited list of 71 city and rural district presidents on Saturday. Instead of introducing new or grassroots faces, the party handed key positions to several senior leaders, including sitting and former MLAs and ministers. 

The decision has triggered widespread protests, social media outrage, and even resignations across various districts in the state.

On Monday, state Congress chief Jeetu Patwari attempted to calm the storm, revealing that Rahul Gandhi had directly called leaders like Jaivardhan Singh, Omkar Singh Markam, and Priyavrat Singh to inform them of their appointment as district presidents. 

According to Patwari, some other senior leaders were also contacted from Delhi but declined the role.

He clarified that these appointments were finalised only after the leaders gave their consent and that the selection process was based on reports and feedback received by the AICC in-charge, not on personal discretion or internal "setting".

He emphasized that every party member has the right to voice concerns through the appropriate party platform.

Despite these clarifications, the party is facing open rebellion in multiple locations. 

The most intense backlash has emerged from Raghogarh, where supporters of Jaivardhan Singh, the son of former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, staged late-night protests. 

They burned effigies of Jeetu Patwari and accused the leadership of reducing Jaivardhan Singh's stature by assigning him the Guna district presidency. 

In Bhopal, the reappointment of Praveen Saxena has drawn criticism from former district president Monu Saxena, who publicly criticized the decision on social media. 

Similarly, in Indore, newly appointed city and rural presidents Chintu Chouksey and Vipin Wankhede are facing opposition, with former women's wing chief Sakshi Shukla Daga expressing her discontent online.

The ripple effects are visible in other parts of the state too. In Satna, workers are unhappy with the appointment of Siddharth Kushwaha, while in Ujjain (Rural), Mahesh Parmar's selection is being challenged. 

In Burhanpur, supporters of senior leader Arun Yadav reportedly held a closed-door meeting after being left out of the reorganization.

The discontent has already translated into resignations, with Hemant Patil, district spokesperson and head of the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Cell, stepping down in protest.

According to the list, 21 district presidents have been repeated, and 37 out of 71 come from reserved categories, including 12 OBC, 10 ST, 8 SC, 4 women, and 3 minorities. 

The remaining 35 belong to the general category. Additionally, the list includes six sitting MLAs, eight former MLAs, and three former ministers, a move that has angered many workers who believe local and younger leaders were overlooked once again.

While insiders acknowledge that Rahul Gandhi approved the final list, many believe the hand of former Chief Minister Kamal Nath remains firm, with at least ten of his loyalists securing organizational roles. 

Critics argue that the appointments have intensified factional divides instead of uniting the party ahead of crucial elections and public outreach programmes. 

Prominent names like Jaivardhan Singh, Nilay Daga, Omkar Singh Markam, and Priyavrat Singh, now in district roles, are seen by many as a sideways shift rather than an elevation.