BHOPAL: In a surprise move, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath on Thursday removed party's IT cell president Dharmendra Vajpayee after a BJP IT cell video depicted chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as Bahubali and Congress leaders as Bhallardev, the villain in the film. On Thursday afternoon, state PCC media committee chairperson Shobha Oza called Dharmendra Vajpayee and told him that he was being succeeded by the IT cell coordinator Abhay Tiwari.

Speaking to TOI, Shobha Oza said, "The party wants more activity on the social media. It is very close to the assembly elections and any change is for betterment."

Sources in the party said that PCC chief Kamal Nath was not happy with the work of the social media under Vajpayee. Nath expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance of the party's social media cell in a meeting on Wednesday. The Shakti App introduced by Rahul Gandhi after he became AICC president to improve coordination within the party, has not fared well in the state Congress. So far, Shakti App has enrolled only 20,000 party workers.

Ruling BJP, meanwhile, has enrolled 'cyber yodhas (IT warriors)' in 65,000 booths while Congress has only 15,000 social media workers who are still awaiting proper training. Sources also said that Kamal Nath is unhappy with repeated attacks by the BJP IT cell on Congress leaders with super-imposed caricature videos – first came the Angad ka Payer, followed by 3 Idiots All is Well caricature, another showing chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as a Southern Hero and now the Bahubali video.

"We are looking defensive before a very aggressive and disrespectful BJP IT cell," a senior Congress office-bearer said. "Our leaders were being attacked with impertinent videos and the party was not being able to retaliate. We were just running to the cyber cell with complaints."

Dharmendra Vajpayee was previously sacked from the Cong social media cell by former PCC chief Arun Yadav. After Kamal Nath took charge in May, he was brought back by the then party media cell chairman Manak Agarwal. His successor Abhay Tiwari comes from the AICC IT Cell in New Delhi. Sources said that Vajpayee was made IT cell chief on Manak Agarwal's good-will.

