MPCC puts Indore district president's appointment on hold within 24 hrs

Bhopal, Jan 23 A day after the All India Congress Committee (AICC) released the names of over 60 organisational district presidents along with a 21-member Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for Madhya Pradesh, the MPCC made the first modification in the list. The appointment of the Indore district president was put on hold on Monday.

Late on Sunday, the AICC had approved the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee's (MPCC) proposed list of 64 district organisational presidents, noting that the approval was given on the direction of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. However, sources in the MPCC later told that "it wouldn't be the final list" and modifications would be expected after Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra concludes.

The list of 64 district presidents included the name of Arvind Bagadi, who was appointed Congress president for Indore city. However, voices raised against his selection by the party leaders in Indore prompted MPCC head Kamal Nath to put Bagadi's appointment on hold on Monday, the MPCC told in an official note.

Sources said a delegation of the Indore district Congress on Monday met Kamal Nath and Madhya Pradesh Congress in-charge, Jai Prakash Agarwal in Bhopal, and objected to Bagadi's appointment, saying that they (Indore Congress workers) would accept anyone but him. They also accused Bagadi of being supportive of the BJP.

After a discussion with the Indore Congress workers, the MPCC decided to put Bagadi's appointment on hold. "This is to inform that the appointment of Arvind Bagadi as district president of Indore city in Madhya Pradesh has been put on hold till further orders," a notification issued by Jai Prakash Agarwal said.

Insiders told that the state leadership wanted a "compact" committee from the state to the district level. Sources also said that many who were holding posts in the MPCC were excluded from the new list, and therefore, modifications will be done in a fresh list.

AICC general secretary K. C. Venugopal in a release on Monday said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the appointment of office-bearers and presidents of various district committees in Madhya Pradesh.