Published 14:19 IST, March 11th 2020
HUGE: Digvijaya Singh says Scindia was offered MP Dy CM post; had face-off with Kamal Nath
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday slammed Jyotiraditya Scindia for leaving the Congress party. According to him, Scindia was offered DyCM post
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday slammed Jyotiraditya Scindia for leaving the Congress party. According to him, Scindia was offered the position of the Deputy Chief Minister in Madhya Pradesh, but he wanted his nominee to take the post instead. He added that CM Kamal Nath then refused to accept a 'Chela' (lackey).
Slamming the BJP, he stated that Scindia could have been a Congress nominee to Rajya Sabha but "only Modi-Shah" can give Cabinet post to the "over-ambitious" leader. He further alleged the BJP MLAs offered a huge amount of money. According to the Congress leader, "Scindia was roped in by BJP after Shivraj Singh Chouhan failed to topple the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh."
Confident about winning the floor-test, Digvijaya Singh asserted that they are "not keeping quiet" and they are "not sleeping." He further claimed, "13 out of 22 rebel MLAs in Madhya Pradesh have assured that they are not leaving Congress."
Scindia resigns from Congress
After two days of heavy political drama, the former Guna MP, Jyotiraditya Scindia formally submitted his resignation to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, after all the talks of mediation failed. Jyotiraditya Scindia resigned from the party soon after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter's residence along with former BJP party chief Amit Shah. Moreover, 22 MLAs who support him have tendered their resignation from their Bengaluru resorts - where they have been holed up for the past few days.
Scindia had allegedly been miffed about not being elected CM and not being elected as Madhya Pradesh Congress chief - both of which were given to Nath. The Congress MLAs have turned on him terming him a 'traitor'.
MP Assembly's current scenario
With the current halfway mark at 114 in the 228-MLA assembly, BJP currently holds 107 MLAs of its own. Congress which held 114 MLAs - has now been reduced to 92 MLAs. The resignation of 22 MLAs, has also brought down the halfway mark to 103. 4 more MLAs are poised to resign, as per sources. The Speaker is yet to accept any of these resignations.
Updated 14:43 IST, March 11th 2020