In a move that indicates fault lines within the Congress ranks, Madhya Pradesh state vice-president of the party, Damodar Singh, burnt the effigies of Digvijaya Singh and his son Jaivardhan Singh in Bhopal on Saturday, accusing them of not fielding enough candidates from the Other Backward Class (OBC) despite his insistence. He resigned from the party and said he was fielding his candidates in 15 seats.
Damodar Singh's supporters protested right outside the party's office in Madhya Pradesh's capital. He said the father-son duo was attempting to set fire to the Congress by not letting it be a party of the poor and backward people. He also accused them of trying to tarnish Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's image.
"When Rahul Gandhi claims that the rights will be given according to the population, then these two are not allowing it to be given. That's why I said, when they are setting fire to Congress, let's set fire to their effigies," Singh told ANI.
Damodar Singh, the state president of the party's OBC unit, alleged he had demanded 126 seats for the backward classes but Digvijaya Singh gave only 55.
"Being the state president of the backward class, I demanded 126 tickets for the backward class in Madhya Pradesh, but they (the party) gave only 55 tickets. There is a relative of Digvijaya Singh who is the chairman of the screening committee. When these people rule, how will the backward people get their rights? Those whose population is not even five lakh in the state were given 35 tickets. While the population of backward class people is around 3.5 crore in the state, they are being given only 55 tickets," he added.
{{/usCountry}}"Being the state president of the backward class, I demanded 126 tickets for the backward class in Madhya Pradesh, but they (the party) gave only 55 tickets. There is a relative of Digvijaya Singh who is the chairman of the screening committee. When these people rule, how will the backward people get their rights? Those whose population is not even five lakh in the state were given 35 tickets. While the population of backward class people is around 3.5 crore in the state, they are being given only 55 tickets," he added.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, former Congress MLA from Mhow, Antar Singh Darbar, also held a protest. He said the party fielded Ram Kishore Shukla from the seat who joined the Congress just a month back.
He said Shukla was in the BJP for 20 years. He joined the party 27 days ago and got the ticket.
"Congress has been my mother, that is why I have come back. A few days ago I had a discussion with Antar Singh Darbar. At that time he had said that whoever gets the ticket will work together and make the party win. Right now every seat is important to form the Kamal Nath government in the state. If he (Darbar) can't understand this, then it is a form of protest against the party. Congress party is united," Shukla said.
BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan, meanwhile, accused Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh of furthering the political careers of their sons.
"Congress has made this election about the future of Nakul Nath (Congress MP and son of former CM Kamal Nath) and Jaivardhan Singh (Congress MLA and son of Digvijaya Singh). It seems that in MP, Mallikarjun Kharge has given the franchise to distribute Congress tickets to Kamal Nath. After taking the franchise, Kamal Nath is not listening to anybody, he is establishing Nakul Nath and on the other side Digvijaya Singh is establishing Jaivardhan," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.