No factionalism in MP Congress, claims Digvijaya

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday denied that his party's Madhya Pradesh unit was facing factionalism, and blamed the media for such reports.

The MP Congress has been in the midst of a churn with various groups talking in different voices over who should be next state unit chief, a post currently held by Chief Minister Kamal Nath.

A letter written by Singh to state ministers asking for information on action taken on his works and transfer recommendations opened up another front with a state minister accusing the former of "destabilising" and "blackmailing" the Nath government.

"There was no factionalism in the state Congress earlier, nor is it there today. Only the media keeps running such stories," he told reporters.

He feigned ignorance about reports that party chief Sonia Gandhi had been apprised of the infighting in the state unit.

Defending himself over the letters he sent to state ministers, Singh asked, "Have you read what I wrote in these letters? If you gave me a paper (application related to some government work), will I forward it or not?"

On allegations of interfering in the work of the Kamal Nath cabinet, he said, "I am a member of Rajya Sabha. I am not part of state government. So my signatures are not needed for any government work."

With supporters of several Congress leaders in MP putting up posters in an apparent game of one-upmanship, Singh said he was clear that his supporters need not follow suit.

"My standing instruction is that no Congress worker should put up poster or banners or raise slogans in my support," he stressed.

Attacking the opposition BJP over Vyapam, Singh said he would move the Supreme Court to "re-open" the case against former minister Laxmikant Sharma.

The Vyapam scam refers to irregularities in exams held by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, also called Vyavasayik Pareeksha Mandal or Vyapam, for admission in professional courses and state services.

"Sharma, a minister in the government of Mama ji (a nickname often used for former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan) was caught in the Vyapam scam. But the CBI (which is probing it) released him," he said.

"I will move the Supreme Court urging it to reopen the case against Sharma," Singh alleged.

The CBI had given Sharma a clean chit in one of the Vyapam cases in January this year.