The differences between the senior party leaders in the run-up to state assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh has become even more apparent in the Congress party. In a recent public rally, Jyotiraditya Scindia has declared that the only alternative to Shivraj Chauhan in Madhya Pradesh has to be the Scindia family.
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According to a report by India today TV, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who was chosen by Rahul Gandhi as the leader of the Congress poll campaign in the state, has stated in a recent public rally that the people of Madhya Pradesh have only two options when it comes to choosing a leader. Imitating superstar Amitabh Bachchan, Scindia tried to take a dig at MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. He stated that the people of MP have only two options, either to chose the Scindia family, who keep their promise before lives and Shivraj Chouhan, for whom life is more important than a promise.
When veteran Congress leader and MP Pradesh Congress Chief Kamal Nath was asked whether Jyotiraditya Scindia has been chosen to be the CM candidate of Congress against Shivraj Chouhan, Kamal Nath denied and stated that any decision regarding the leadership selection will be taken after the meeting of Congress election Committee. He also added that he cannot say why Scindia has made such a claim.
Fractionalism between Kamal Nath and Scindia supporters over CM candidature was apparent in Madhya Pradesh earlier too. In July, a poster war of sorts had erupted between the supporters of the two leaders where Kamal Nath’s supporters were using slogans like “Rahul Bhaiya ka Sandesh, Kamal Nath Sambhalo Madhya Pradesh” and Scindia’s supporters were using the slogan “Desh Main Chalegi Vikas ki Andhi, Desh main Rahul, Pradesh main Rahul Gandhi.”
Though the Congress has denied any differences between the leaders, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh had taken out the ‘Ekta Yatra’ reportedly trying to bridge the gap between Congress workers. However, the factionalism between supporters is more than apparent in the state. In July, the respective supporters of the two leaders were also involved in a hashtag war on Twitter. After Kamal Nath’s supporters ran the ‘Kamal Nath next MP CM’ hashtag, Scindia’s supporters from a certain group called ‘Shrimant Scindia Fan Club’ had trended the hashtag ‘Chief Minister Scindia’ the very next day.
Election campaigning is gathering pace in Madhya Pradesh. While incumbent CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been undertaking a statewide ‘Jan Ashirvad Yatra’ covering every constituency of the state, Congress has decided to up its election game by using the power of social media. In recent reports, it was revealed that the party has issued a mandate to potential candidates that to get a party ticket they must possess 15,000 likes on facebook, at least 5000 followers on Twitter and WhatsApp groups of booth-level workers.