New Delhi/Bhopal: The crisis in the Madhya Pradesh Congress deepened further Friday with Chief Minister Kamal Nath asking the Congress high command to “ignore” senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia’s demand to make him state party chief. Mr Kamal Nath met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday for nearly half an hour.
Mr Scindia, who is in New Delhi, hasn’t met the top leadership so far. Speculation is rising that he is looking for “other options”, which may include joining the BJP.
Sources said it was argued that Mr Scindia’s demand for the PCC chief’s post couldn’t be “encouraged” as his influence was limited to the Gwalior region. It was also noted that he hasn’t been active in state politics, so a local leader “should be propped up”. The high command is also not happy that Mr Scindia has brought these “internal differences out in the open”.
Mr Kamal Nath, however, downplayed differences in the party after his meeting with Mrs Gandhi. He said: “I don’t think Mr Scindia is unhappy. I am ready to work with anybody. I also raised the issue of a new PCC chief’s appointment at the earliest.”
Meanwhile, a video in which Jyotiraditya Scindia was heard taking a vow to retaliate if his dignity was hurt on Friday went viral in social media, sparking speculations on his future course of action if he was not made PCC president of Madhya Pradesh.
The video was posted in the purported Facebook wall of Mr Scindia’s son Aryaman.
The former Union minister was heard in the video clip reciting a couplet that said one needed to fight back if one felt one’s principles are challenged and if one is alive then one has to prove one is alive.
