Demanding Scindia as MP Cong chief, supporters threaten mass resignation

Bhopal, Aug 30 (IANS) Cracks in the Madhya Pradesh Congress have come out in the open ahead of the announcement of the new state party president. Supporters of former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia are threatening mass resignation, if he is not elected as president of the state Congress unit.

As current Congress state unit president and Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Friday met Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi in Delhi to discuss the likely names for his successor, Scindia's supporters protested in front of state Congress office here demanding he be made the state president.

Protesters led by Krishna Ghatge warned the party of consequences if their demand is not met. "A large number of workers will resign from the party if Scindia is not made the state president," said Ghatge.

Interestingly, 500 supporters of Ashok Dangi, working president of Congress in Datia district, have already said they would quit the party if Scindia is overlooked in the state party chief's announcement.

More than 10 state leaders, from different factions, are in the race for the party president's post. Prominent among these are former chief minister Digvijay Singh, former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh, former minister Mukesh Nayak, former MP Meenakshi Natarajan, current Minister Umang Singar, Omkar Singh Markam, Kamleshwar Patel, Sajjan Verma, Bala Bachchan and Shobha Ojha.

After his meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Kamal Nath told the media: "I met Sonia Gandhiji today to discuss several things. We talked about the party organisation in Madhya Pradesh. It was a very fruitful discussion like always."

Asked if Scindia was unhappy with the state Congress leadership, he said: "It is wrong to say that Scindia is angry. There are no differences between us."