Who Is Jitu Patwari? New Madhya Pradesh Congress Chief Who Replaced Kamal Nath

Days after facing a humiliating defeat in the recently concluded Madhya Pradesh assembly election, the Congress on Saturday announced big changes in the state leadership. Taking a big call, the grand old party decided to replace Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath with Jitu Patwari. In a press release, the Congress announced Patwari to take charge with immediate effects.

Gandhwani MLA Umang Singhar has also been appointed as the leader of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) and Hemant Katare as his deputy.

"The top leadership (of Congress) - Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Kamal Nath, and Digvijaya Singh - have shown their confidence and faith. The party is in a tough position, but it is the responsibility of Jitu Patwari (Congress' new MP chief) and me to fight for the poor, farmers, and youths," said Umang Singhar, Congress Legislature Party leader in Madhya Pradesh.

The party lauded Kamal Nath's efforts in the past to strengthen the roots in the state stating " Congress appreciates contributions of the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister as the PCC President."

MADHYA PRADESH ELECTION RESULT:

The party contested Madhya Pradesh elections under senior leader and former CM Kamal Nath's leadership and failed to dethrone the BJP government. Congress managed to secure only 66 seats in the 230-member assembly. While the arch-rivals, BJP triumphed on 163 seats.

WHO IS JITU PATWARI?

The 50-year-old Jitendra Patwari Aka Jitu Patwari is a renowned OBC leader of the state and a two-time Member of the Legislative Assembly in the past. Congress' call to change the state leadership can be seen as a fresh start for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Patwari has served as the cabinet minister in the erstwhile Kamal Nath government but resigned in 2020 resulting in the political turmoil.

He hails from the Bijalput near Indore and did schooling at the Multi Malhar Ashram Higher Secondary School, before attaining the BA and LLB degrees from Devi Ahilya Vishwa Vidyalaya.

His father Ramesh Patwari has also served the party for a long time and his grandfather was a freedom fighter. Parwari has also led the state youth Congress in the past and can turn out to be an ace in the next elections.