Signs of Congress Revival!
gfiles|March 2017

Apart from Ajay Singh, no major Congress leader stays in Bhopal. The elevation of Singh as the leader of opposition and unity shown by party leaders has energised the party cadre. But, will this unity show last?

Rakesh Dixit
Signs of Congress Revival!

C-19, Shivaji Nagar is one of the two most famous addresses in Bhopal, the other being 6, Shyamla Hills, the Chief Minister’s official residence. The then Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, late Arjun Singh, had the C-19 allotted to him after he demitted office in 1985. Later the veteran Congress leader left Bhopal to Delhi, leaving his son Ajay Singh, aka Rahul Bhaiya, to occupy this magnificent bungalow. Six-time MLA from Churhat assembly seat, Ajay Singh was re-elected leader of opposition after a gap of three years on February 23.

He has succeeded late Satya Deo Katare, who died in October after a prolonged illness. Katare, a Brahmin, was nominated leader of opposition by the high command on Jyotiraditya Scindia’s recommendation, though he sorely lacked majority support. No wonder then that he miserably failed in infusing enthusiasm among the MLAs to take on the Shivraj Singh government in the house. Katare’s illness had deprived the Congress MLAs an effective leadership within the assembly and that poorly reflected in the opposition’s performance in the last three years. Outside the assembly too, PCC chief Arun Yadav’s lackluster leadership has demoralised the Congress cadres. Yadav’s style of working with only a small coterie has increasingly alienated Congress cadres across the State. In the last three years, the Congress has suffered a series of defeats in various elections, the latest being the Shahdol parliamentary by election in November last year.

This story is from the March 2017 edition of gfiles.

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This story is from the March 2017 edition of gfiles.

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