Congress on suicide path in MP amid factional battles

Bhopal: The Congress is bent upon frittering away its gains in Madhya Pradesh. After a month of putting up a united campaign there is a re-escalation of infighting which could dash its hopes of retrieving the lost electoral ground. The party has so far finalised its list of nominees for only 115 of the 230 seats even as nominations for the November 25 poll entered the fourth day. With the BJP announcing a list of 147 candidates the Congress is under greater pressure to announce the remaining names at the earliest. [caption id=“attachment_121300” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Campaign committee chief Jyotiraditya Scindia. AFP[/caption] The Congress election committee witnessed tantrums earlier this week by PCC chief Kantilal Bhuria who walked out the meeting complaining of pressure by campaign committee chief Jyotiraditya Scindia and Union Minister Kamal Nath for their favourite candidates. Bhuria met party president Sonia Gandhi to complain about the duo. The screening committee headed by Madhusudan Mistry had ensured a consensus on 192 of the 230 names and had forwarded the list to the national screening committee. Party president Sonia Gandhi is said to have shot down some names and asked the screening committee to send a revised list. While the senior leaders project a bonhomie the resentment has spilled over to streets. Bhuria has often had complaints against Scindia and Kamal Nath. This is not his first outburst against the duo. Scindia supporters had also been gunning for Bhuria as they felt he was the cat’s paw of former chief minister Digvijaya Singh who is obsessed with self-preservation at the party’s cost. Bhuria detractors say the Congress lost all by-elections during his tenure. A year ago the dissident faction had proposed Scindia’s name to head the party in the state suggesting Bhuria’s re-induction in the union ministry. To make up for tribal representation in the leadership the group suggested Bisahulal Singh to replace CLP leader Ajay Singh who in turn could be made deputy speaker and the incumbent deputy speaker Harbans Singh to head the campaign committee. But, the Digvijaya group forced the high command to reject the proposal. Harbans Singh died a few months later. With Bhuria and Ajay Singh casting their weight behind Digvijaya Singh the others have to watch out for subtle moves of the trio - sometimes referred to as D-company. The rivalry between the groups has gone on for a generation. Its genesis lies in the events that took place in Jan 1989 when former chief minister Arjun Singh had to step down after Jabalpur high court’s adverse verdict on Churhat lottery case. A defiant Arjun Singh tried to fend off the High Command’s move to bring Madhav Rao Scindia, then Railway Minister, to replace him. He proposed Digvijaya Singh’s name which the central leadership rejected and instead recalled Arjun Singh’s predecessor, Motilal Vora back. Madhav Rao Scindia died a few years later and Vora’s political interest in the state waned after the creation of Chhattisgarh. His position as treasurer of the AICC connects him with Madhya Pradesh only tangentially. The rivalry has continued with Arjun Singh’s son Ajay Singh and Digvijaya Singh staying close together against Jyotiraditya Scindia. The mutual distrust persists with Digvijaya Singh losing his influence with the Gandhi household and Jyotiraditya being preferred over Ajay Singh to lead the campaign. Digvijaya Singh has expressed his disappointment by calling himself the setting sun. This followed Rahul Gandhi’s remark that everyone likes to bow before the rising sun. His indifferent performance during the UP elections and subsequently as general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka hasn’t upset the high command as much as his inability to play a statesman in his home state has. The Congress was closing in on the ruling party till about two weeks ago. Rivals have pointed out several instances when Digvijaya Singh faction either backed out of Scindia rallies or sabotaged campaigns that help Kamalnath or Scindia. The battle for the turf is keen because the leadership issue would be decided by the legislators. The party has tossed aside Rahul Gandhi’s guidelines for selection. Candidates who lost the elections by more than 12,000 votes have been fielded again. The BJP legislator in the outgoing assembly Devendra Patel on Thursday has also been included in the candidates’ list. Digvijaya’s son Rajyavardhan Singh has already jumped the gun and filed his nomination from the family bastion, Raghogarh even before the list was announced.