Madhya Pradesh crisis: Digvijaya Singh said Jyotiraditya Scindia's role was not small in Congress
Highlights
- Mr Scindia had reportedly been unhappy with Congress leadership
- "It is now time for me to move on," he said in resignation letter
- "He was not at all sidelined," Digvijaya Singh said
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has denied that a big factor in long-time party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia's stunning walkout was his perceived diminished say in party matters.
On Tuesday, Mr Scindia resigned from the Congress and shot off a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi, saying "it is now time for me to move on". He also wrote: "To reflect and realise the aspirations of my people and my workers I believe it is best that I now look ahead at a fresh start."
Jyotiraditya Scindia had reportedly been unhappy with the Congress leadership for about a year. Once close to the Gandhi family, he lost the race for chief ministership to Kamal Nath in 2018, when the party won the Madhya Pradesh election, because he could show the support of only 23 MLAs.
"No question he was not at all sidelined. In fact, please ask any Congress Leader from MP particularly from Gwalior Chambal Division and you would come to know nothing moved in this area without his consent in last 16 months. Sad. But I wish him well under Modi-Shah Tutelage," Digvijaya Singh tweeted this morning.
"...He sees a great Future for India under ModiShah Govt when our Banks are collapsing our rupee is plummeting our Economy is in shambles and our Social Fabric is being destroyed. So be it," Mr Singh said in a series of tweets.
"...he should replace Amit Shah or Nirmala Seetharaman and knowing his talent he would certainly do a better job then either of them. May he grow under ModiShah Tutelage. Our best wishes to you Maharaj," the Congress leader tweeted.
Both Congress and the BJP have set in motion strategies to guard their flock as the tussle over power in Madhya Pradesh moved towards a show of strength in the assembly.
If the resignation of the 21 Congress MLAs is accepted, the government will be reduced to minority and could topple. Chief Minister Kamal Nath has said he would not resign and prove his majority on the floor of the assembly. The Congress claimed it has the numbers. Many of the MLAs who were shifted to Bengaluru, were ready to come back, the party said.
The BJP has moved its MLAs out of Bhopal, to a five-star hotel in Gurgaon.
The Congress could shift its MLAs to Jaipur in Rajasthan. At a meeting of the Congress legislature party on Tuesday, the MLAs asked Kamal Nath to keep them together and give them an opportunity to bring back their colleagues who have deserted the party.