Jitu Patwari calls himself Digvijaya Singh’s ‘political son’ but BJP has a warning for him

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari has described himself as the “political son” of senior party leader Digvijaya Singh, saying he learnt the art of practising politics with dignity from the former chief minister.

In a lighter vein, Patwari said Singh's political legacy belonged to him while the veteran Congress leader's son, Jaivardhan Singh, would inherit the money. Patwari made the remarks at a public gathering in Raghogarh, Digvijaya Singh's hometown, on Wednesday when he joined the former CM's Satya Sanatan Swabhiman Yatra.

“I am also his son. I have been saying for many years that the political legacy is mine, while all the money belongs to JV (Jaivardhan),” Patwari said, referring to Digvijaya Singh's son and former minister Jaivardhan Singh.

Praising the veteran Congress leader, Patwari said, “I have never seen a person as good and satvik (virtuous) as Digvijaya Singh ji in my life. I learnt from Digvijaya Singh what public conduct is and how politics should be practised while maintaining dignity.

If I have even a grain of those qualities in me, it is because of you (Digvijaya Singh).” BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma warned Patwari to be wary of Digvijaya Singh, saying the former CM had a way of flattering leaders and raising their political expectations before cutting them to size.

Meanwhile, at the Raghogarh event, when asked who would lead the Congress in the next Assembly election, Singh said the party would “fight under the leadership” of the two leaders – Patwari and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in MP Assembly, Umang Singhar.

He also dismissed suggestions of factionalism within the state unit. Patwari, however, sought to emphasise collective leadership, saying the party would not fight the election under any single individual. “I am the president of the party.

I have said that we will contest the election under collective leadership,” he said, adding that the Congress would form the government in MP in the next Assembly elections. The remarks came a day after Digvijaya Singh, while speaking to reporters in Guna, said the Congress would contest the 2028 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections under the leadership of Patwari and LoP Singhar.

Digvijaya Singh's endorsement of the two leaders comes amid the Congress's efforts to project a younger state leadership following its defeat in the 2023 Assembly elections. The party won 66 seats against the BJP's 163 in the 230-member Assembly.

The exchange also comes against the backdrop of periodic speculation over competing power centres within the state Congress, with senior leaders including Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath continuing to wield influence. Senior BJP leaders in the state have latched onto the comments to criticise the Congress for its alleged factionalism.

BJP's Sharma, who represents the Huzur Assembly constituency in Bhopal, warned Patwari to be wary of Digvijaya Singh, accusing the former CM of elevating political leaders only to eventually sideline them. The three-time legislator said Digvijaya Singh had a way of flattering leaders and raising their political expectations before cutting them to size.

“He has made Patwari climb that tree and brought him down on several occasions. Now he has put him up there again. The Raja's job is to loosen the kite's string and then enjoy watching it get snapped,” he said. Meanwhile, Jaivardhan Singh has begun to increase his political visibility as he accompanies his father Digvijaya Singh in the ongoing Yatra, from Ujjain towards Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

It is not merely a religious outreach exercise; it gives the former CM an opportunity to reconnect with his grassroots network, mobilise workers, and demonstrate that his organisational influence remains intact, even as Patwari attempts to consolidate his position as the state party president.

Patwari has, in the past, addressed concerns over factionalism in the state.