MP minister Singhar skips CM’s programme

Bhopal: State forest minister Umang Singhar, who had dared to stand up to veteran Congress leader Digvijay Singh by calling him a ‘blackmailer’, was conspicuous by his absence in an official programme attended by chief minister Kamal Nath in Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, raising eyebrows in ruling Congress’ circles here.

Mr Nath launched the ambitious ‘Mukhy-amantri Awas Mission’ scheme envisaging the provision of houses for homeless tribals in urban areas in Madhya Pradesh on the
occasion.

The chief minister’s decision to launch the scheme in Jhabua assumed significance considering that the by-election to the Jhabua (ST) Assembly constituency is round the corner.

The by-poll is considered crucial for the Kamal Nath government, which enjoyed a wafer-thin majority in the House and survived on outside support from two Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLAs, one Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator and four Independents.

The Congress has a strength of 114 in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly.

Incidentally, Mr Singhar, a key tribal leader of Congress in Madhya Pradesh, hails from Dhar district adjoining tribal-dominated district of Jhabua.

Interestingly, state tourism minister Sure-ndra Singh Baghela, who is also a tribal and hails from the Dhar district, was among three ministers who were present on the occasion.