Non-inclusion of ex-general secretary, AICC Digvijaya Singh (71) in the Congress working committee (CWC) at a time when he is touring the state to iron out differences among various factions of the party for the sake of the party’s victory in the ensuing assembly elections has set the tongues wagging in the party about its impact on the party in Madhya Pradesh, said party sources.
Digvijaya Singh was appointed as the state Congress coordination committee chief in May this year by state Congress president Kamal Nath after the latter’s anointment as the state Congress president.
Earlier, Digvijaya Singh was sidelined in the party and sacked as party affairs in charge of Goa in April 2017 after a fiasco when Congress couldn’t stake its claim on time to formation of government in the state despite its being the largest single party after the assembly elections.
From Madhya Pradesh Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia finds place in the CWC as a permanent invitee while Arun Yadav as a special invitee. No other party leader from Madhya Pradesh whether it be Digvijaya Singh or Kamal Nath or Satyavrat Chaturvedi or Suresh Pachauri has been inducted in the committee.
“Congress national president’s message is clear that veterans would have to give way to young ones as the latter have a major role to play in the time to come in the party particularly when the party is undergoing a transition phase after the change of guard. That’s why several veterans were dropped from the old team to be replaced by others in CWC”, said a senior party leader on the condition of anonymity.
“This has certainly proved a setback to the veteran leader who was looking for his role in the party after his six-month long Narmada Prikrama (Narmada river circumambulation)”, said another party leader on condition of anonymity.
However, former Mahila Congress president Shobha Oza feels the CWC is a mix of young and experienced party leaders.
“The party has given responsibility to every leader in the party and they are contributing their mite to the party’s growth”, she added.
State Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta spoke in a similar vein.
He said he hoped that not only Digvijaya Singh but other veterans like CP Joshi, Janardan Dwivedi and others who were not inducted in CWC will find place in the party’s parliamentary board, the supreme decision taking body of the party.
Former state Congress chief spokesperson KK Mishra said Digvijaya Singh had already been given a responsibility in Madhya Pradesh and it was not possible without the consent of the party high command.
State BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said it’s not the first time when Congress president Rahul Gandhi had snubbed Digvijaya Singh. During his speech at Mandsaur rally last month Rahul Gandhi didn’t mention his name even once. Hence, his non-inclusion in CWC was not surprising anyone particularly after he was sacked as Goa in charge of the party affairs.
Digvijaya Singh couldn’t be reached for his comments. However, Jaivardhan Singh, Congress MLA and son of Digvijaya Singh said on Wednesday Digvijaya Singh himself had expressed his desire to leave CWC and give opportunity to new faces.
Prasanta Patnaik 
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