New Delhi: Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh has pitched for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to be given a bigger organisational role in the Congress party, saying she has “tremendous political ability”.
The Congress veteran further questioned why Priyanka remains a general secretary without a defined responsibility.
Announcing that he was stepping away from active organisational politics, Singh said that he would leave decisions on party posts and election tickets to a younger generation. He would instead dedicate himself to defending constitutional values and fighting communalism, the 79-year-old leader said.
In an exclusive interview with ThePrint, Singh said Priyanka’s political abilities had not been utilised to their full potential and that the party should entrust her with a meaningful organisational assignment.
“She certainly deserves greater responsibility. Today she is a general secretary without a defined organisational charge. I don’t understand why. She should be entrusted with a serious responsibility within the AICC (All India Congress Committee).”
To a query on whether the Wayanad MP possessed the political acumen for a larger role, Singh replied, “Absolutely. She has tremendous political ability. Enormous ability.”
At the same time, Singh indicated that his own role within the organisation had come to an end.
“Life has been very kind to me. God has been generous. The Congress party has also given me far more than I could ever have asked for. I’ve had a long and fulfilling political career. Now, I believe I have reached a stage where I should devote more time to social reform than to day-to-day politics.”
“I don’t want to interfere in organisational matters anymore. Who becomes the District Congress Committee president, who becomes the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president, who gets an Assembly ticket, those decisions are no longer my concern. The younger generation should take those responsibilities.”
In January, Singh had said that he would not seek another term in the Rajya Sabha. His term in the Upper House of Parliament ended 9 April. He has served as the Madhya Pradesh chief minister from 1993 to 2003. The Congress veteran had unsuccessfully contested the 2024 general elections from Rajgarh.
“My role now is different. I want to work to strengthen constitutional values. I want to ensure that the Constitution is respected. I want to see that the rule of law prevails. I want elections to remain free and fair. And I want to oppose every form of communal politics,” he said.
“Whether communalism comes from Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or anyone else—it is the greatest danger facing this country. That is where I want to devote my energy in the years ahead.”
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Biggest lesson
Even as he announced his retirement from organisational politics, Singh offered the biggest lesson from his five decades in public life—one he believes every political party must remember.
“I began my political career as the general secretary of the District Congress Committee. Then I became general secretary of the State Youth Congress. Later I became Pradesh Congress Committee president. After that I served as the AICC general secretary,” he said.
The fundamental lesson he learnt, Singh said, is that managing contradictions is the primary responsibility of an organisation.
“Differences are inevitable in politics. Every political party has leaders with ambitions, differing opinions and competing interests. The organisation’s job is to bring everyone together despite those differences. Politics is always about give and take.
“I have often said that the best organisational leader is not the one who delivers the biggest speeches. The best organisational leader is the one who knows how to manage contradictions. Every political leader wants at least one thing—to be heard. If there is no space for dialogue, dissatisfaction inevitably grows,” he added.
Asked whether he was referring specifically to the Congress, Singh said the problem was universal rather than party-specific. “No. I’m saying this about every political party. This is a universal principle of politics.”
Singh revealed that his decision not to seek another Rajya Sabha term was entirely voluntary, saying the Congress had already given him more than he could have asked for.
“It was my decision. I volunteered. The Congress has given me everything. I joined the party in 1971. Because of the Congress, I became a five-time MLA, a minister, Chief Minister, Member of the Lok Sabha and Member of the Rajya Sabha. I spent 13 years in the Rajya Sabha. I served as AICC general secretary in charge of several states. What more could I ask for? I am now 79. Soon I’ll turn 80. It is time for younger leaders to come forward.”
The Congress veteran backed the party’s decision to nominate Meenakshi Natarajan to the Rajya Sabha in his place.
“As for Meenakshi Natarajan, she is an outstanding choice. She is articulate, lives a very simple life and is deeply Gandhian in her outlook. I was delighted when she was nominated.”
Singh criticised the Election Commission over the rejection of Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination papers, alleging that she was denied an opportunity that had been extended to BJP candidates in similar circumstances.
“There was no case against her. No FIR. No cognisable offence. Then under which provision was she expected to mention a case number in her nomination papers? There simply was no case to disclose. So why was her nomination rejected?”
“And look at the double standards. In Jharkhand, when a BJP candidate made mistakes in the nomination papers, he was given 24 hours to rectify them,” he said.
The Congress candidate, he said, was not even given 12 hours.
“Even then, once the matter reached the Election Commission, the EC should have examined the observer’s report and taken a fair decision. I, therefore, demand that the Election Commission make public the observer’s report regarding the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha election in which Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination was rejected,” he added.
Singh dismissed the speculation that Natarajan’s debacle was orchestrated from within the Congress party.
“Absolute nonsense. Who would do such a thing? Why would anyone sabotage the party’s own candidate? Who knew beforehand that the Returning Officer would reject her nomination in this manner? Who could have anticipated that? No. I completely reject that theory.”
Singh weighed in on the future of the INDIA bloc, stating that while the alliance remained relevant at the national level, parties fought against each other at the state level.
“The first thing we need to understand is the nature of the INDIA bloc. It is an alliance at the national level. It was never conceived as a state-level alliance. At the state-level, constituent parties often fight each other. Look at Kerala, West Bengal. In many states, alliance partners are political rivals. That is simply the reality of Indian politics. So, we cannot expect a uniform alliance in every state. But at the national level, all of us are united in opposing the ideology represented by the RSS and the BJP. That is the basis of the INDIA bloc.”
On whether the Congress and the Trinamool Congress combine could have prevented the BJP’s win in West Bengal, Singh maintained that the Congress favoured such an arrangement but the proposal did not find support from Mamata Banerjee.
“Certainly. Absolutely. That was precisely what the Congress wanted. But, Mamata Banerjee was politically confident at that point. She chose not to be part of such an arrangement. That wasn’t the Congress’s decision.”
Responding to criticism that the Congress suffers from a lack of internal democracy, Singh said his own experience with the party leadership had been very different.
When his attention was drawn to a former Congress CM’s comment that it was easier to secure an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi than with senior leader Rahul Gandhi, Singh said he could not relate to that assessment.
“Well, I’ve never sought an appointment with PM Modi, so I can’t comment on that comparison. But as far as the Congress leadership is concerned, my experience has been completely different. I’ve never had any difficulty meeting (Congress chief) Mallikarjun Kharge. I’ve never had any difficulty meeting Rahul Gandhi. Nor did I ever face any problem meeting Sonia Gandhi when she was Congress president. So, I cannot agree with that assessment.”
Asked whether that meant the Congress functioned democratically, Singh said leadership styles differed from person to person. “It depends on the individual occupying the position. Leadership styles differ.”
The Congress veteran also defended senior leader Shashi Tharoor, saying differences of opinion should not be viewed as indiscipline and political leaders must have the freedom to express themselves.
“Shashi is a very good friend of mine. He is one of the most articulate and intellectually brilliant leaders in our party. We share a warm personal relationship and discuss many issues. I have the highest regard for him.”
Last month, Tharoor had irked the party rank and file by praising the PM for ensuring the safety of Indian sailors, as well as his ‘normalcy’ remark over Kashmir.
Singh disagreed that Tharoor occasionally crossed the party line through his public statements. “No. You cannot place every political leader in a straitjacket. Leaders should have some room to express themselves. Why shouldn’t they?”
On his relationship with Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari, Singh dismissed suggestions of any serious differences, saying disagreements were a natural part of politics.
“Differences are natural in politics. Jitu Patwari’s father and father-in-law were both my political colleagues. Jitu is like a son to me,” he said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)