As the Indian National Congress struggles to repair its internal workings in Madhya Pradesh, fresh indications are that the party has found itself divided on a crucial issue after crisscrossing the state to enquire about some issues in public display.The Congress has just been torn by fresh rips and rags over a tension during a press meet where senior congress leader Digvijaya Singh came face-to-face with Congress in-charge Harish Chaudhary, when the party went scouring around Madhya Pradesh to find out about some issues publicly. The incident came just hours after the report that former MP Meenakshi Natarajan had been reportedly rejected from the nomination.The incident came hours after the party decided to go public on the issue regarding the former MP’s (Meenakshi Natarajan) alleged rejection for nomination. The confrontation has since become viral on social media, sparking political debate.
The tiff came when senior party leader J.P Dhanopia was reportedly invited to address the press during the briefing by Digvijaya Singh. Against this backdrop, Harish Chaudhary intervened and announced that the issue will be discussed in the party leadership. This resulted in a touchy moment between the two leaders in the presence of the media. Cameras recorded the scene which soon went viral on social media, highlighting major discrepancies in the state Congress unit.
The tension seemed to be further on till Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari requested Digvijaya Singh to speak to the media. The veteran leader refused to accept the invitation and did not speak, raising more doubts about the disagreements among party members.
This was a press conference to discuss the rejection of nomination of Meenakshi Natarajan and the party’s political and legal measures of response. But, the key attention was on the real conflict between leaders than the intended message.
Political commentators feel the incident has laid bare the split in the Congress at a crucial juncture. Opposition parties have already launched an attack on the Congress over the viral video, with party leaders staying away from the spotlight about the incident so far. As a result of the controversy, there’s been growing debate about unity and leadership in the state Congress, ahead of some big challenges to politics.