JOIN USMPCC post uncertain as Scindia-Sonia meet delayed
The suspense over next Madhya Pradesh Congress president has stretched with party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi postponing her scheduled meeting with Jyotiraditya Scindia in New Delhi on Tuesday. Scindia is said to be frontrunner for the post.
Speculation was rife in the state Congress circle that Scindia’s nomination as PCC chief could be announced soon after his much-awaited meeting with the party president. His supporters had already made preparations for celebration in anticipation of his nomination. They have been exerting pressure on the party high command to compensate Scindia with the PCC chief post for denial of the chief ministership after the Congress ousted the BJP in the Assembly election in November last year.
Rebellious posturing and threatening calls of the Scindia supporters in the last couple of weeks had posed grave crisis for the Kamal Nath government. Scindia’s intriguing silence amid speculation about his toying with the idea of “looking for options” exacerbated the crisis. Senior ministers’ open bickering only added to the woes of the chief minister. One minister went to the extent of calling senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh a ‘blackmailer’ and colluder with the liquor mafia in the state.
As crisis snowballed, Sonia stepped in to set the house in order. Two days back, she summoned Kamal Nath and accepted his resignation from the PCC chief post which he had tendered after the party’s crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha election. The Congress chief also directed MP in-charge AICC general secretary Deepak Bawaria to submit a report on factional fights in the state, particularly over forest minister Umang Singhar’s serious allegations against Digvijaya. The matter has been referred to the disciplinary committee which is led by A K Antony.
Having diffused crisis in the party, Sonia had scheduled a meeting with Jyotiraditya on September 10, soon after his return from abroad.
Congress sources said no reason was ascribed for postponement of the meeting. Nor was it specified when they will meet again.