MP: Knives out against Jitu Patwari again after Congress' bypoll debacle

MP: Knives out against Jitu Patwari again after Congress' bypoll debacle Bhopal, July 16 (IANS) Knives are out against Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari again after the party lost the byelection in the Amarwara Assembly seat of Chhindwara district last week. Accusations have been made against Patwari for ignoring party workers and the organisation. This in turn led to defeat in the Lok Sabha election, Congress leader Ajay Chordia said. Chordia, former head of industry and business cell of MP Congress, alleged that Patwari is conspiring to save his PCC post with the help of BJP leaders. He even questioned the party's central leadership's decision to replace ex-CM Kamal Nath with Jitu Patwari as the state unit head. "The one who could not win his own election, how will he handle the party? Replacing Kamal Nath from the state Congress president was a wrong decision," Chordia said. Another party leader Amitabh Agnihotri wrote a letter to the Chairperson of AICC, Sonia Gandhi, to find the reason for the party's loss in the Lok Sabha polls in the state, also alleging that Patwari failed to keep the party united and raise important public issues. This is not the first time Agnihotri has been vocal against Patwari and wrote to the central leadership. Last month, he had written to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge claiming that ever since Jitu Patwari was made the state unit head, genuine party workers are being ignored. The fresh attack on Patwari from his own party workers came after Congress lost the Amarwara byelection, the result of which was announced on July 13. Notably, Patwari was made MPCC chief following the party's humiliating defeat in the Assembly elections in November last year. Congress, under the leadership of veteran Kamal Nath, was in a position to win the election, but it could win only 66 seats. --IANS pd/kvd