Bhopal : The drubbing of the Congress in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state has considerably diluted the influence of the state Congress satraps within their party circles in Delhi. Kamalnath made concerted efforts to become leader of the Congress Parliamentary party in Lok Sabha but was outsmarted by Mallikarjuna Khadge.
Digvijay Singh too did not succeed in becoming leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha and the post went to Ghulam Nabi Azad. Digvijay and Kamalnath, both were keen on becoming leaders of Congress contingents in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively and had lobbied intensively too. But their claims were rejected by the party high command.
According to sources, Singh may be removed from the post of AICC general secretary soon. The series of electoral reverses of the party in the state has annoyed the party high command and the satraps are being held responsible for it. That is the reason behind their being relieved of important posts. Jyotiraditya Scindia is the only Congress leader from the state, who has been given the assignment of chief whip in the Lok Sabha.
Sources said former Union minister Suresh Pachauri’s influence has also declined with the party’s defeat in the state Assembly elections. The same true of state Congress president Arun Yadav and former state president Kantilal Bhuria, who lost Lok Sabha elections and their influence at national level in the party has declined.
Sources said new faces would be given priority over powerful leaders in the change to be made at organisational level in the state. A senior Congress leader maintains that the state BJP leaders getting importance in national level of BJP and decline in the influence of state Congress leaders will further weaken the Congress in the state.
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