MP Congress feud referred to Antony-led disciplinary panel

With his stature and standing, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who is also the state Congress chief, was competent enough to resolve by himself the feud between former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh and a first-time minister. However, he lobbed the issue into the court of the party interim President Sonia Gandhi who referred it to the Central Disciplinary Committee headed by A.K. Antony.

Kamal Nath met Gandhi in New Delhi on Saturday, a day after Deepak Babaria, the party's General Secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh, submitted his report to her over the infighting.

Forest Minister Umang Singhar had called Singh a "blackmailer". He also accused Singh of trying to run the government by proxy.

To this, Singh responded with a clarification in the media. He did not name Singhar but said action should be taken against indisciplined leaders.

Singh obliquely tried to suggest Singhar was trying to deflect the key issue when he had accused some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members of spying for terror outfit Islamic State and handling the funds of its operatives. Singh's close associate Manak Agrawal went a step further by calling Singhar a BJP agent.

While Singhar could incur the party's wrath for his remarks against Singh, the latter can also be pulled up for his aide Agrawal's remarks.

Singh has a right as Member of Parliament to pass requests from public to the ministers, but can he absolve himself for selective leaks in the media about the ministries in the state, a member of Scindia camp has asked.

Singh's son, Jaiwardhan Singh, is also a minister and he has been quite protective of him. His supporters have erected hoardings mocking Singhar and other critics.

Jyotiraditya Scindia also jumped into this controversy. Speaking to the media in Gwalior, he supported Singhar and said the state government should be allowed to function without meddling.

Scindia also said that the issues raised by Singhar should be heard as well. "I feel that the Chief Minister should sit with both sides and resolve the dispute soon, because after 15 years of hard work, the Congress has formed its government in Madhya Pradesh and the bickering in the party might undo the hard work."

Scindia's supporters had also raised banners rooting for him as the next PCC chief.

Kamal Nath tried to make light of the matter, saying he keeps seeking advice from Singh to take advantage of his experience. He said Singh had been the Chief Minister of the state for 10 years and also been the state Congress president.

Not only Singh, but he also consults all former Chief Ministers and former state presidents, he added.

The biggest beneficiary of the whole controversy is the BJP which finds the whole episode to its advantage, sparing it a lot of effort as an opposition party.

Television channels are full of panel debates on the issue and the Congress finds itself on the back-foot explaining its position.

By next week, Antony is expected to submit his report. All eyes are now set on how the former Kerala Chief Minister views the feud. The controversy has gone a long way to show how the party has landed itself in a catch-22 situation.

It can't completely dismiss the issues raised by Singhar. But it is helpless against party veteran Singh who is causing more embarrassment to the party than its adversaries can.
IANS