‘MP Congress hijacked by 1-2 leaders’: As party wiped out in state, voices rise

Ajay Singh Rahul, a former LoP, points fingers at how the Kamal Nath government collapsed after Scindia's defection; and how Kamal Nath's defection rumours before the LS polls hit the morale of party workers

Ajay Singh Rahul, Kamal Nath, Lok Sabha Election Results 2024, Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Madhya Pradesh Congress, Indian express news, current affairs

In a swipe at former CM Kamal Nath without naming him, Singh referred to the buzz in February, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, regarding him leaving the Congress for the BJP.

After the Congress failed to even retain its lone seat in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, voices of unrest have grown louder in the party’s Congress unit.

Speaking to The Indian Express, former Leader of the Opposition and Churhat MLA Ajay Singh Rahul attributed the loss “to top leaders who have hijacked the party”. The son of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Arjun Singh, Ajay Singh called on the party high command to review the situation.

“It is not only this election… Systematically, the party has been hijacked by one or two leaders over a period of time. In 2018, we had an elected government which did not even last 15 months (referring to the Jyotiraditya Scindia episode, when he left the party and took 22 MLAs with him). It is a systematic thing,” Singh said.

Also Read | Congress gives 101 seats to allies, will contest in 328, lowest Lok Sabha tally

In a swipe at former CM Kamal Nath without naming him, Singh referred to the buzz in February, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, regarding him leaving the Congress for the BJP. The rumours were sparked by the Congress’s unexpectedly big loss in the Assembly elections, led by Nath. The incumbent BJP, in power for almost 20 years at a stretch, had won 163 of the 230 seats in the state polls.

“He was going to join the BJP a month before the election… Even ordinary workers were forced to think about their future. He says I am going and then he says he is not. That had a major impact on workers across Madhya Pradesh. Such a big leader wished to join the BJP and many others were waiting to leave with him,” Singh said.

He added that the party should discuss “why a large number of Congress leaders left before the elections”. “When I was the Leader of Opposition in 2013, and the government was not formed, I was asked to resign,” Singh pointed out.

Also Read | In Madhya Pradesh, Chhindwara could be Congress’s biggest hope — and fiercest challenge

Sources close to Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari, who has been asked to step down by the leadership following the loss, said he would soon “rebuild the party”, which is “an exercise that was long overdue and had been delayed due to the Lok Sabha elections”.

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A senior Congress leader said it is “unfair” to ask Patwari to step down. “He just had a few months at the helm (before the Lok Sabha polls) and was given the big task of putting up a challenge at a time that many leaders had left the party due to their greed or under threat of investigation by Central agencies.”

The BJP, triumphant after the Lok Sabha performance coming on the back of Assembly poll win, is claiming the Madhya Pradesh Congress unit will splinter further.

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More