Who is Jitu Patwari, new Madhya Pradesh Congress president?

Jitu Patwari's appointment came after the Congress was routed in the recently concluded assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress on Saturday appointed Jitu Patwari as the party's Madhya Pradesh state president, replacing veteran leader Kamal Nath after it was routed in the recently concluded assembly election.

Kamal Nath with new party’s new MP chief Jitu Patwari (@Jitupatwari)(HT_PRINT)

During a meeting in Delhi, Congress president Mallikarjun expressed his disappointment over the poll result in Madhya Pradesh and told Nath that a large section of party leaders wanted him to step down as the chief of the MP unit after the party’s poor performance.

Soon after his new appointment, Jitu said he would continue on the path of duty and strengthen democracy and the Congress.

"I have always felt proud to be a dedicated worker for Congress, determined to protect Indian ideals and values. Heartfelt gratitude to the national leadership. With the inspiration and guidance of senior Congress leaders, we will continue to move forward on the path of duty and strengthen democracy and the Congress," the newly appointed Congress chief wrote on X.

The Congress’s top leadership was confident of forming the government in MP but the party could only win 66 of the state’s 230 seats, its worst performance in a decade. The BJP retained power with a thumping majority, winning 163 seats.

Who is Jitu Patwari, new Madhya Pradesh Congress president

• Jitu Patwari was born in 1973 in a small town called Bijalpur, near Indore.
• He pursued BA (Honors) from Devi Ahilya University in 1994. He then also completed his LLB (Honors) in 1997.
• His grandfather Kodarlal Patwari was a freedom fighter.
• Jitu Patwari's father, Ramesh Chandra Patwari, is also an active Congress leader.
• Patwari first became MLA in 2013 from the Rau Vidhan Sabha. He won again in 2019, but lost in the elections held in November.
• He is also the co-chairman of the MP Congress Committee.
• Jitu Patwari was a minister of higher education, sports and youth affairs in the Kamal Nath government between December 2018 and March 2020.