New Delhi: As crisis loomed over the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, party sources said on Tuesday that efforts were on to woo back disgruntled leader and former MP Jyotiraditya Scindia who remained ‘incommunicado’.
Seventeen MLAs, including at least six ministers, known to be Scindia loyalists, are currently in Bengaluru. Chief Minister Kamal Nath promised to reconstitute the state Cabinet after an emergency meeting late on Monday night. Following the meet, around 20 ministers resigned reposing faith in Nath’s leadership.
In Delhi, sources said hectic efforts were underway by the Congress leadership to save the party’s government in Madhya Pradesh and placate Scindia who has long been at daggers drawn with Kamal Nath over leadership issues.
“The party high command is sending emissaries, including Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot to Scindia in order to win him back. But the efforts have not borne any fruit yet,” a source said.
Pilot tried to reach out to Scindia, but failed. The disgruntled Scindia did not respond to his message, sources said.
On Tuesday, Pilot tweeted, “I am hopeful that the current crisis in Madhya Pradesh ends soon and that leaders are able to resolve differences. The state needs a stable government in order to fulfil the promises make to the electorate.”
Congress veteran and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh said Scindia could not be contacted.
“We have not been able to talk to him yet… Anyone who is a true Congressman will not leave the party,” he said, adding the people of the state would give a befitting reply to anyone who attempts to undermine their mandate.
The Congress leaders have put up a brave face saying their government in the state would survive its full term.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh unit of the BJP tweeted in memory of Jyotiraditya Scindia’s late father Madhavrao Scindia whose birth anniversary falls on Tuesday.
“Respected Madhavrao Scindia ji’s ideological loftiness, political wisdom, supreme morality, and commitment to the Congress are still milestones in Indian politics even today and will always remain so,” it stated.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who met BJP chief J P Nadda in Delhi on Monday night and later returned to Bhopal, also took to twitter to remember late Madhavrao Scindia on his birth anniversary .
Chouhan, however, said the current crisis was an internal matter of the Congress and needed to be resolved internally.
While the Congress, which was voted to power in Madhya Pradesh after 15 years in 2018, has 114 MLAs, the opposition BJP has 107 legislators. Four Independent MLAs, two lawmakers of the Bahujan Samaj Party and one legislator of the Samajwadi Party are supporting the Congress-led state government.
Also read: Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia meets Amit Shah, likely to meet PM Modi