Amid speculations of a potential divide between two prominent Congress leaders, Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh and the state's Congress chief, Kamal Nath, the duo has refuted such claims by likening their relationship to the iconic characters from the Hindi movie 'Sholay' – Jai and Veeru.
Both aged 76, these Congress stalwarts are at the forefront of leading their party into a fierce battle against their arch-rivals, the ruling BJP, in the upcoming November 17 Assembly election. They emphatically stated that their camaraderie mirrors the enduring friendship of 'Sholay's' Jai and Veeru and vowed to put an end to the rule of what they symbolically referred to as 'Gabbar Singh,' identifying the incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with the iconic movie villain.
The BJP has alleged that factionalism within the state Congress leadership has become a topic of discussion in political circles, particularly after the two leaders visited Delhi for a meeting.
The controversy started when the Congress released its second list of candidates on October 20. Supporters of some leaders who were denied tickets protested, alleging bias in candidate selection. The Congress leadership, however, defended their choices, stating that candidates were selected through multiple surveys and with consideration for the caste and regional balance, as well as electability.
Former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh emphasized the unprecedented transparency in the candidate selection process, stating, "I have been involved in the process of candidate selection for more than 34 years, and I can say that the level of transparency in selecting candidates this time was never before seen in Madhya Pradesh."
Nonetheless, persistent protests and dissatisfaction from party workers led the Congress leadership to replace candidates in seven Assembly seats. During the unveiling of the party's election manifesto two weeks ago, Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh engaged in good-natured banter, including a playful reference to a 'kurta-fad' (shirt-tearing) remark.
Kamal Nath, meanwhile, underscored that his relationship with Digvijaya Singh extended beyond politics, even likening it to a "power of attorney" where Digvijaya Singh serves as a safeguard for him.
(With Agency Inputs)
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