Days after witnessing defeat in Assembly elections, the Congress has replaced senior leader and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath as the State unit chief with other backward class (OBC) leader Jitu Patwari. ‘The Hitavada’ had reported earlier ‘Kamal Nath may resign from PCC chief position’. Now Jitu Patwari, who hails from Malwa region, has been appointed the President of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC). OBCs account for over 50% of the population in the State and the selection of Patwari, who lost to a BJP candidate from the Rau Assembly seat with a margin of over 35,000 votes, is being seen as the party’s attempt to handover charge to younger leader ahead of the all-important Lok Sabha elections next year.

 

The party has also appointed Umang Singhar as the Congress Legislative Party leader, which means that he will be the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, and has picked Hemant Katare as the Deputy Leader. ‘The Hitavada’ in its December 15 edition, published that Umang Singhar’s name is doing round for LoP post. The picks are significant as, apart from effecting a generation change, they also reflect the Congress' attempt at caste balancing.