Rift in MP Congress over leadership

The Congress does not appear to have learnt its lessons from its loss in Madhya Pradesh. Its leaders in the state continue to be at loggerheads over the post of the Congress Legislature Party leader.

Battle lines have been drawn between Ajay Singh, the legislature party leader in the previous Assembly, and Mahendra Singh Kalukheda.

While Ajay Singh, the son of late Arjun Singh, a former chief minister, is considered close to All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Digvijay Singh, Kalukheda is the nominee of Union Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Congress observers met with all 58 elected MLAs of the party, a majority of whom are understood to have supported Singh. However, it is learnt that the Central leadership is in favour of Kalukheda.
The Congress had won 58 seats while the BJP emerged victorious in 165 seats in the 230-member Assembly.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the newly elected MLAs of the Congress in Rajasthan was scheduled to be held on Tuesday but it had to be postponed as AICC general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Gurudas Kamat was summoned by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Kamat is understood to have briefed Gandhi on the political situation in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The Congress was reduced to 21 seats in the 200-member Assembly in Rajasthan.