Congress has always let MLAs choose the chief minister, says Digvijaya Singh

India वोट Kar | December 17, 2018

Congress has always let MLAs to pick the CM : Digvijaya Singh

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh has said the Congress won most of the assembly seats along the Narmada river, highlighting his Narmada ‘parikrama’, which he had described as a spiritual journey. He spoke in an interview after the party took Madhya Pradesh from the BJP in what was the country’s closest election so far.

The Narmada parikrama

Singh said that although the parikrama was entirely non-political, the party had won most of the seats along the river. Having worked behind the scenes, campaigned widely and had his way in ticket distribution, he was pleased with the result.

He also explained, for the first time, a video from two months earlier in which he was heard saying the Congress lost votes when he made speeches. He said the BJP had run a sustained campaign against him and some Congress leaders had been swayed by it.

Choosing the chief ministers

With Kamal Nath and Ashok Gehlot set to take charge in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Singh defended Rahul Gandhi’s choice of the older leaders over the younger Sachin Pilot and Jyotiraditya Scindia. He said the debate was not experience against youth, and that younger leaders would have become chief ministers had they won the most support.

He said everyone’s views were sought and whoever had majority backing was chosen, adding that the media had blown the matter out of proportion. In Madhya Pradesh, he said, Kamal Nath received 90% of the votes.

Singh said this practice had always been followed. He recalled that in 1993 he became chief minister for the first time even though then party president PV Narasimha Rao wanted Shyama Charan Shukla. After observers informed Rao that Singh had the most votes, Rao let the MLAs’ choice prevail, he said.