MP: How Jitu Patwari and Mahesh Patel Came Together in Alirajpur? Why Jitu changed his stance?
Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari and former Alirajpur Congress District President Mahesh Patel joined forces in Alirajpur over water, forest, and land (jal, jungle, jameen) issues.
For some time, Mahesh Patel had been agitating in the area against the eviction of tribals in the name of encroachment. The state Congress unit had dismissed this as Patel's personal protest, stating that the party had nothing to do with it. Patel had been upset with Jitu Patwari ever since.
Patel was so angry that he even warned Patwari that he (Patwari) would not be able to hold a meeting in his (Patel's) area i.e. Alirajpur implying there was anger and resentment against Jitu for not supporting tribals.
Finally, following instructions from the higher-ups to make tribal eviction an issue, Patwari relented. Changing his stance on the issue, he persuaded Mahesh Patel to launch a larger movement under the Congress banner.
Following this, a massive Adivasi Adhikar Yatra was organized recently in the village of Dabdi in the Jobat Assembly constituency of Alirajpur district. State President Jitu Patwari, Umang Singar, in-charge Sanjay Dutt, and even Kantilal Bhuria participated.
This marked the first Congress protest in the region that demonstrated solidarity. All the regional leaders participated in it, abandoning factional politics.