Congress to put up united fight, says Jyotiraditya Scindia

Bhopal: Lok Sabha chief whip Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday tried to steer clear of the raging debate over projecting a face for Congress in the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, slated for November this year, saying, “The party high command will take a call on it”.

“I have already clarified that my view about it reflected national perspective. It is the party high command which will take the final decision on the issue”, Mr Scindia told reporters here. “All I can say is that all the leaders in Congress will put up a joint fight against BJP in the forthcoming assembly elections in MP. I will take up whatever responsibility given to me by the party”, he added.

Interestingly, Mr Scindia has himself earlier broached the idea of declaring a chief miniser face for the party in the year-end assembly elections in MP, which was opposed tooth and nail by several factional leaders in Congress here including AICC general secretary and former chief minister Digvijay Singh.

Mr Scindia, meanwhile, batted for forging pre-poll alliance with BSP and other like-minded parties by Congress to dislodge ruling BJP from power in the coming assembly polls in the state.

“The party is yet to decide on having alliance with any party including BSP. But, I firmly believe that Congress will benefit by bringing like-minded parties into its fold”, he said.

Fringe parties such as BSP, SP and Gondwana Ganatantra Party had played spoilsport for Congress in the 2013 assembly elections in MP by dividing Opposition votes which had indirectly helped BJP.

He however tried to play down the decline in victory margins of Congress in the just concluded byelections to Mungaoli and Kolaras assembly seats attributing it to alleged use of money and muscle power by ruling BJP.