After a long wait, the Congress on Wednesday nominated Mr Ajay Singh, son of late party veteran Arjun Singh, as the Congress Legislature Party leader in Madhya Pradesh. The post remained vacant for over six months since the death of Jamuna Devi.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi preferred Mr Singh, a five-time MLA from the Sidhi Assembly seat, to another strong contender and the party’s deputy leader in the state Assembly, Mr Rakesh Chaudhury.
A four-time MLA, Mr Chaudhury was appointed as the acting CLP leader in the state in November last year after the death of Jamuna Devi, 81, at an Indore hospital on September 24.
Mr Singh’s appointment has come just days after Union minister Kantilal Bhuria was named PCC chief for the state replacing Mr Suresh Pachouri.
Since Mr Bhuria belongs to the tribal community, the CLP leader had to be either from the Thakur or Brahmin community and hence the names of both Mr Singh and Mr Chaudhary were doing the rounds for the post.
The Congress is hoping that appointment of Mr Bhuria and Mr Singh will revive the faction-ridden organisation in the state, which has been under BJP rule for nearly eight years.
While Mr Kantilal Bhuria is a close associate of AICC general secretary and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh, Mr Ajay Singh had also served as a minister in his government.
A senior leader in the party said that the Congress would “honour” the legacy of Arjun Singh.
The veteran Congress leader and former Union minister, who had served in various capacities, including as Madhya Pradesh chief minister, died last month.