Emotional Digvijay Singh video puts Congress in tight spot

Bhopal: Veteran leader and AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh has stirred up a hornet’s nest by saying that he was avoiding Congress rallies since his presence in public would result in loss of votes for the party in the polls.

A video showing a visibly upset Mr Singh pouring out his feelings before Congress workers here apparently to justify his absence from rallies and public meetings of the party in recent times, on Tuesday went viral on social media causing commotions in the party.

Mr Singh’s purported emotional outburst comes in the wake of speculations making rounds in Congress circle that the party leadership desired him to stay away from rallies and public meetings of the party since his presence in public may cost Congress in the November 28 Assembly elections in MP.

“Mere bhasan dene se toh Congress ke vote kat te hain, isiliye mein jata nahin. Aur mera kaam kewal ek, koi prachar nahin koi bhasan nahin (Congress loses votes when I campaign. That’s why I avoid attending party rallies. My only job is: no campaign, no speech),” he was heard telling party workers in the clip.

Sources disclosed to this newspaper that Mr Singh made the remarks while emerging out of the official residence of state working president of the party Jitu Patwari on Saturday.

Interestingly, Mr Singh’s invariable absence in the rallies and road shows being staged by Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Madhya Pradesh as part of electioneering for his party, has raised many eyebrows in political circle here.

This has sent a message in Congress that he was asked to keep himself away from the party’s public programmes to ensure that party votes were not cut. Kamal Nath reacted cautiously to the development, saying, “I am not aware of it”.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan however took a potshot at Congress for “marginalising a senior leader like Mr Singh”.

“I feel pity for Mr Singh for being belittled by the Congress leadership. His current misery was not because of me but because of Congress,” he said.