Jyotiraditya Scindia Takes Jibe On Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh's Banter Video

Latching on to Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath's "tear clothes" jibe at his party colleague Digvijaya Singh, Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Wednesday the voters of the poll-bound state will not allow such leaders to form government.

Mr Scindia, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP in March 2020, said the opposition party's manifesto for the November 17 assembly polls has a long list of promises but none of them are going to be fulfilled.

A viral video of Mr Nath where he is asking Congress workers to "tear clothes" of his colleague Digvijaya Singh over denial of ticket to a leader from Shivpuri fuelled talks of a rift in the party over selection of nominees. However, both the former CMs sought to make light of the episode and put up a united face ahead of the polls and attended the Congress's manifesto release function on Tuesday.

Asked about Mr Nath's comment and the controversy generated by the viral video, Mr Scindia said the Congress wants to tear down everything.

The BJP Rajya Sabha MP said his own thinking is to work for people's development and strengthen his party's organization.

"If Congress leaders are talking like this, what will happen to the people of Madhya Pradesh if they get power? But I believe the people will not allow this to happen," Mr Scindia said.

He took a dig at the Congress manifesto, saying its easy to prepare the pre-poll document but the party will not be able to fulfil the promises made in it.

In its 106-page manifesto, the Congress has listed 59 promises and 101 "main guarantees". Key promises include conducting a caste survey, 27 per cent reservation to the OBCs, a farm loan waiver, Rs 25 lakh medical insurance for all residents and an IPL team for MP if voted to power.

The Congress "ruined" the state in its 15-month rule (December 2018 to March 2020) and the people will not forgive the opposition party and its two senior leaders (Digvijaya Singh and Nath), he said.

On contesting elections from his home turf Gwalior, the Union minister said he is an ordinary BJP worker and follows the party's directives.

In the viral video that surfaced on Tuesday, Nath is heard telling a group of people, said to be supporters of party leader Virendra Raghuvanshi, that he had left the issue of (selection of Raghuvanshi's seat) to Digvijaya Singh and his MLA-son Jaivardhan Singh which might have caused some confusion.

The state Congress president is then heard telling the group to "tear clothes" of Digvijaya Singh (over the ticket denial issue).

Raghuvanshi, a former BJP legislator, joined the Congress earlier this month. He had sought a Congress ticket from the Shivpuri assembly seat, but the party fielded KP Singh, a six-time MLA from Pichhore, from there.

On Tuesday, both Nath and Digvijaya Singh were seen together at the release of the Congress manifesto in the state capital and they talked about the video's content in a lighter vein.

As the BJP latched on to the video to target the Congress, Nath clarified that the relations between Digvijaya Singh and him are not merely political.

"It is of love. I have given the power of attorney long back to him (Digvijaya), which was for listening abuses for Kamal Nath. This power of attorney is still valid," Nath had said jokingly.

Polling for the 230 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress and the BJP are engaged in a direct fight, will be held in a single phase and votes will be counted on December 3. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)