BHOPAL: With the next Assembly elections less than two-and-a-half years away, the opposition Congress has embarked on the second phase of restructuring its organisation in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Madhya Pradesh, Harish Chaudhary, on Wednesday dissolved all departments and cells of the party's state unit with immediate effect.
According to Chaudhary's communication, "As part of the AICC's directions and the process of restructuring the party organisation, it has been decided to dissolve all departments and cells of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee at all levels with immediate effect."
The significant organisational overhaul comes a day after the AICC leadership reviewed the performance of the state unit at a meeting in Delhi, attended by MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, and other senior state leaders.
The move also comes nearly a year after the appointment of district Congress presidents in 71 organisational districts under the ambitious Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan, launched in the state by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in June 2025.
While district Congress presidents were appointed during the first phase of the campaign, the second phase will focus on appointing office-bearers to various departments and cells of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, from the block and district levels to the state unit.
Significantly, while fresh appointments are expected across all dissolved departments and cells, there is also a strong possibility that underperforming district Congress presidents could be replaced.
According to senior Congress sources in Bhopal and Delhi, the performance of district Congress presidents appointed under the Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan has been under continuous review since they assumed office in August 2025.
After completing one year in office, the performance of six to eight district Congress presidents has reportedly been found unsatisfactory, placing them in the party's lowest 'D' performance category. Their replacement with better-performing leaders in the coming weeks cannot be ruled out, sources said.
State Congress spokesperson Abhinav Barolia defended the decision to dissolve the departments and cells, saying it was part of the party's preparations for the 2028 Assembly elections.
The ruling BJP, however, targeted the Congress over the development. BJP state spokesperson Ajay Yadav, a former Congress leader, alleged that the move was prompted by growing factionalism within the opposition party's ranks in Madhya Pradesh.
