Jhabua By-Polls: With One Day Left For Campaigning, Congress Infighting Out In The Open

The fallout of the ongoing infighting in the Madhya Pradesh Congress unit can be witnessed in the Jhabua Assembly seat, where bypoll is going to held on 21 October.

Congress General Secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia has not yet campaigned for the party candidate even though canvassing would end on 19 October. Instead, he is busy campaigning in Maharashtra.

Scindia had campaigned intensively in the state during the 2018 Assembly and May 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Despite being in the list of star campaigners for his party, he is yet to hold even a single meeting in the Jhabua constituency.

The candidate in the bypoll is veteran Congress leader Kantilal Bhuria, a former Union Minister and is perceived to be close to Digvijay Singh. While campaigning in Jhabua, Digvijay Singh had said that this was Bhuria's last election.

It is being said that Scindia is upset with Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh as he favoured former MLA Javier Medha for the seat.

Scindia is also unhappy because he has been eyeing the post of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president, a position currently held by Chief Minister Kamal Nath.

Both Kamal Nath and Digvijay are said to be pushing Ajay Singh's name who was the leader of Opposition in the last Assembly, but failed to win his seat in the last Assembly elections.

The central leadership of the Congress is having a tough time in keeping the flock together in the state.

It cannot afford taking risks as the Madhya Pradesh government is surviving on a razor-thin majority. The party needs experienced hands to contain any rebellion, said a leader.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)