Congress general secretary and in-charge of party affairs for Madhya Pradesh, Deepak Bawaria on Monday said that either the state party president Kamal Nath or the head of campaign committee Jyotiraditya Scindia would become the chief minister after the party wins the election due by year end, indicating that the race for the top post was still open.
He said, “The Congress is winning the next elections that is 100 per cent sure and we have decided that either Scindia or Kamal Nath would become the chief minister.”
Asked if he was ruling out former chief minister Digvijaya Singh from the race, he quipped, “When I have said who will be the chief minister, there is nothing else to add. The public is wise enough to understand.” Digvijaya Singh has in the past ruled himself out of the race for chief ministership.
The Congress high command has studiously refused to announce a chief ministerial candidate, and top leaders including Kamal Nath and Scindia have also skirted the issue. As late as last Saturday, Scindia in a meet the press programme had deflected a question in this regard by saying that the first priority at present was to ensure that Congress wins. “We are all there because of the party, if Congress loses then we will all lose,” he had said refusing to be drawn into the chief ministerial candidate debate.
This is not the first time that Bawaria has given a controversial statement. On June 23, Bawaria had created quite a stir at the function of the Bauddh Samaj in Bhopal by saying that the party’s working president Chaudhary Surendra Singh could become deputy chief minister if Congress came to power in the state.
{{/usCountry}}This is not the first time that Bawaria has given a controversial statement. On June 23, Bawaria had created quite a stir at the function of the Bauddh Samaj in Bhopal by saying that the party’s working president Chaudhary Surendra Singh could become deputy chief minister if Congress came to power in the state.
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to his statement, state Congress spokesperson Manak Agrawal said, “Bawariaji is AICC general secretary and whatever he says should be taken as the view of the AICC.”
The BJP has predictably reacted to Bawaria’s statement. State Minister for Parlimentary Affairs Narottam Mishra dismissed Bawaria’s statement as wishful thinking. “Let him continue saying who will be deputy-chief minister or chief minister, the fact is BJP is going to win the elections for the fourth time under leadership of Shivraj Singh Chouhan.