New Delhi: Acrimony between Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath came to the fore yet again with the former showing displeasure over the latter’s leadership and targeting him over manifesto promises made to the public.
A day after Scindia warned that “he will become shield and sword of guest teachers” in Madhya Pradesh if their demands were not met, Kamal Nath on Friday responded saying: “Manifesto is for five years, right? It is not for five months”.
The war of word over ‘manifesto promises in Madhya Pradesh’ received mixed responses from political leaders. While some extended supports to Scindia others said that duo must resolve their internal differences within the party.
“Promises are meant to be kept. Scindia being the senior-most leader in the party is concerned about promises made by Congress before coming to power in Madhya Pradesh. I am sure the state government will take a note of it,” Congress leader KTS Tulsi told media.
Kamal Nath govt betrayed the people of MP, says BJP
BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao said that Jotiraditya Scindia has issued a reminder to Congress government about the unfulfillment of election promises.
“Kamal Nath government has betrayed people of Madhya Pradesh. This government is completely indulged in corruption and it has ignored the interest of the people of the state. Scindia’s statement reflects that there is a massive power tussle among Congress leaders in the state,” he said.
BJP lawmaker from Madhya Pradesh Ganesh Singh said that Scindia is feeling neglected in Congress party.
“Scindia was neither made the president of Madhya Pradesh Congress nor the chief minister of the state. All is not well in Congress. Scindia even questioned central leadership over Delhi election debacle,” Singh said.
War of words between Scindia & Kamal Nath
Addressing a public event organised in Kudila village of Tikamgarh district, Scindia had vowed to fight for guest teachers if promises made to them in the Congress manifesto were not fulfilled by the Kamal Nath government.
He even threatened to hit the streets if “the promises made to teachers are not met after some time”.
Later Nath responded to Scindia’s statement and reminded him that “Congress manifesto for Madhya Pradesh is for five years which has not been completed yet.”
Differences between these two Congress leaders have continued to be in light ever since the formation of Congress government in Madhya Pradesh.
While Scindia supporters wanted him to take over the charge of chief minister of the state, the position finally went to Nath.
Last year in September, hoardings requesting Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi to “not to come under anyone’s pressure” and appoint Scindia as Madhya Pradesh Congress chief had surfaced in Gwalior.
Scindia-Kamal Nath spat not new, began in 2019
In November 2019, 48-year-old leader Scindia removed Congress and the post he held earlier from his Twitter bio and mentioned ‘public servant and cricket enthusiast’, fuelling speculations that he could quit the party.
Notably, Scindia had also backed the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, taking a stand in contrast to that of his party’s. Last month, Scindia said that Congress needs to self-introspect, echoing the sentiments of his fellow Congressman Salman Khurshid who had expressed concerns over the party’s future.
Scindia had lost from the Guna parliamentary constituency in Madhya Pradesh, his family stronghold, to BJP’s Krishna Pal Singh Yadav in this year’s general elections. (ANI)
