Old warhorse reconnects with people

Bhopal: Seventy is not the right age for one to do a parikrama (circumambulation) of the mighty Narmada, banks of which run through difficult terrains, vast stretches of uneven fields and marshy lands of Madhya Pradesh.

But Digvijay Singh, who served as MP chief minister (Congress) for two consecutive terms, is doing just that.

He found it the “most appropriate moment” of his life to set out on the six-month-long “pilgrimage” to trek across the 3,200 km-long banks of the Narmada crisscrossing through 110 of 230 Assembly seats.

Still smarting under the humiliation that he suffered when he was divested of the charges of Goa and Karnataka by the Congress leadership in the wake of the loss in the Goa Assembly elections, Mr Singh appears to be banking on his “pilgrimage” to revive his magical touch, political observers said.

“He is, perhaps, facing the biggest challenge in his political career and he knows it needs an unmatched determination (of the scale of trekking banks of Narmada) to woo the people back to his side,” Naresh Chaturvedy, a lecturer in the political science department of a local college here, observed.

It may be noted a parikrama of the Narmada has religious significance among the people of MP,  particularly the rural folk.

This can be gauged from the fact that the ruling BJP, which initially took potshots at Mr Singh, has considered it wise to retreat on the issue fearing a backlash from the religious-minded people of the state.

In fact, Narmada is the only river in the country, where its parikrama of which has got a religious sanction.

The BJP government is keeping a close eye on the response that Mr Singh is drawing during his yatra and has asked the intelligence department to send periodic reports.

The yatra, which started on Sept. 30, is scheduled to conclude in March 2018, barely six months before Assembly polls will be held in the state.

“Time will only say if Mr Singh emerges politically stronger after the parikrama, but it is a fact that his pilgrimage has made the ruling party jittery,” a senior Congress leader of a rival camp in the party, said.

His pilgrimage has also caused discomfort to leaders in rival camps in the Congress, who deemed divestment of his charges of Goa and Karnataka would marginalise him.

But many party factional leaders, including Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia, both chief minister aspirants, have dropped at his pilgrimage dispelling all misgivings that Mr Singh was a spent force.

Mr Singh was said to have chosen the occasion to launch his wife, ex-TV journalist Amrita Singh, in politics. She is accompanying him on the parikrama.

Speculations are rife in the Congress circles that Ms Singh may make a debut in politics by joining the fray for the Rajgarh parliamentary constituency in MP in 2019 general election.

“The idea to do a parikrama of Narmada came to me, while I was spending time in a guest house in 1998. I decided to take a sabbatical from politics for some time to realise my long-cherished dream to attain spiritual enrichment as well as get closer to the people,” Mr Singh said, before leaving from Barman Ghat of Narasinghpur. “Also I have no political agenda,” he said, which sounded unconvincing to his admirers and adversaries in MP politics.

Sources in Mr Singh’s inner circle disclosed to this newspaper that it took three months for his brother Laxman Singh and MLA son Jayavardan to plan the politically strategic “pilgrimage”.

Leaders of BJP and Congress in MP are sitting with fingers crossed to see if Mr Singh’s parikrama will make him, if not a king, at least a kingmaker in the 2018 Assembly polls.

Political statement

• Digvijay Singh’s  3,200-km-long parikrama will take him to 110 of 230 Assembly segments MP
• The journey, which started on Sept. 30 will conclude in March 2018, six months before the state goes to polls
• The timing of Mr Singh’s parikrama has made many leaders in Congress and BJP camps uncomfortable
• Mr Singh may also choose the occasion to launch his wife, former TV journalist Amrita Singh, in politics
• Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia had visited Mr Singh during the parikrama showing he was not a spent force