After Karnataka Win, Congress Meet On Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh Poll Strategy Today

All India Congress Committee President Mallikarjun Kharge will chair two-day deliberations on the party's preparedness and poll prospects in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh

After Karnataka victory, the Congress will on Friday begin its two-day deliberations on its preparedness and poll prospects in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh ahead of the elections later this year. The Congress rules two of the three states after it lost power in Madhya Pradesh due to Jyotiraditya Scindia-led rebellion. The Congress units of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are set to hold separate discussions today on their preparations and actions to be taken, the party will also hold strategy meets for Chhattisgarh on May 27.

All India Congress Committee President Mallikarjun Kharge, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal - General Secretary (Organization), and Rajasthan Congress in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa will be present in the meetings.

Congress Meeting Expected To Discuss Ashok Gehlot-Sachin Pilot Feud

The meeting is expected to deliberate on a resolution for the rift in the Rajasthan Congress as the party needs to end the festering feud between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot before the state election.

The Congress High Command has invited CM Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra, and other veteran leaders of Rajasthan to participate in this meeting as the chief ministers, the state unit chiefs or in-charges and senior leaders from the respective states are expected to take part in the meetings.

According to news agency PTI, poll strategist and former associate of Prashant Kishor Sunil Kanugolu will be part of the deliberations with the state leaders to strategise the party’s preparedness for the next round of Assembly elections.

The Congress in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are ruled by the Congress, hopes to offset the anti-incumbency factor and factional fighting by replicating the “Karnataka strategy”. In Madhya Pradesh, the party is determined to make a comeback where it lost power after Jyotiraditya Scindia and some of the MLAs switched loyalties to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Congress Infighting In 5 States Set To Face Polls

Assembly elections in five states -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram -- are due by the year-end.

The strategy meetings for Telangana and Mizoram will be held later, PTI reported sources as saying.

Kharge will hold separate meetings with the party leaders from these states at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, the agency reported.

The success of the “Bharat Jodo Yatra”, which passed through Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and its effect in these states are also likely to be discussed in these meetings.

The Congress in several of these states has to tackle infighting and factionalism ahead of the polls.

Besides the Gehlot-Pilot feud in Rajasthan, there is also an open fight between Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and state minister T S Singh Deo, who has been staking a claim to the top post.

In Madhya Pradesh, there is factionalism between Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh while in Telangana, state Congress chief Revanth Reddy faces infighting from state leaders who consider him an outsider.

The grand old party is in a direct contest with the BJP in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, while there is a triangular fight in Telangana among the Congress, the BJP and the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).