Scindia: Make me PCC chief, or I’ll ‘look for options’

New Delhi: The Congress has a new problem in Madhya Pradesh. Senior leader and former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has given an ultimatum to the party high command to make him head of the Madhya Pradesh unit, hinting to the leadership that unless this was done soon he would have to “look for other options”. Speculation is rife in political circles that Mr Scindia is in touch with BJP leaders and that he could switch parties unless he is made the PCC chief.

After Kamal Nath became the state’s chief minister in December last year after the party’s Assembly election victory, it was evident he would soon give up the post of state unit chief. Since the Lok Sabha polls were just around the corner, he continued with both posts — of CM and PCC chief. And despite parleys, Mr Scindia was also not named deputy chief minister.

Interestingly, in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Mr Scindia lost from his family bastion of Guna. The Congress lost all Lok Sabha seats in the state, barring Kamal Nath’s bastion, from where his son Nakul Nath won. Now Mr Scindia feels he should get his due from the party as he has not yet challenged the state leadership. To placate him, the party has appointed him chairman of the screening committee for the coming Assembly polls in Maharashtra. But his eyes are set on the post of Madhya Pradesh PCC chief. Last week, one of the ministers in the state, Ms Imarti Devi, said Mr Scindia should be appointed the state unit chief.

While Mr Scindia is among the top contenders for the post, there are others too who are staking a strong claim. Mr Ajay Singh, son of former Congress veteran Arjun Singh, is also in the reckoning, and insiders say senior leader Digvijaya Singh is backing him. If Mr Scindia does not make it to the top, his role in state politics will be marginalised, especially when he is not a Lok Sabha MP from the state.Leaders junior to him like Jaivardhan Singh, son of Digvijaya Singh, and Jitu Patwari are already ministers in the state government. A shot at the top post will ensure that Mr Scindia will establish his pan-Madhya Pradesh image.

A meeting of chief minister Kamal Nath with the top Congress leadership is expected soon regarding the likely changes in the state unit.`