Digvijay Singh says Cong votes get reduced if he campaigns
Bhopal, Oct 16 : A controversy erupted in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh Tuesday after a video went viral in which senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh is heard saying that his party's votes get reduced if he campaigns for it.
The video was recorded on October 13 but it emerged on a day Congress president Rahul Gandhi is in the state to campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Significantly, Singh, the two-time former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, has been conspicuous by his absence in the programmes and rallies which Gandhi has been addressing in the state over the last few weeks.
".. mera kaam keval ek. Koi prachar nahi, koi bhashan nahi. Mere bhashan dene se to Congress ke vote kat-te hai, mai jata nahi" (I have only one job, no campaigning, no speech.
When I deliver a speech, Congress votes get reduced, so I don't go)," Singh is heard saying in the video.
In the video, in which he is seen talking casually to party workers at the residence of MLA Jitu Patwari here, Singh also advises Congress workers to campaign for candidates wholeheartedly to achieve victory.
"Dekho, khwaab dekhte rah jaaoge agar kaam nahi kiya to.
Nahi banegi sarkar agar aise kaam kiya to. Jisko ticket mile, chahe dushman ko mile, jitao (You will continue dreaming if you do not work. You can't form the government if you work like this. Even if the ticket is given to a rival in the party, you should ensure his victory)," he is seen telling the party workers.
When contacted by PTI, Singh said the video was not being shown in a proper manner.
"It is not being shown in the right manner, especially the first part. If you hear the first part, you will understand it in a proper way," Singh said.
The ruling BJP was quick to take a dig at the opposition party over Singh's comments, with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan saying the Congress should not treat one of its senior leaders in this manner.
"We (BJP) have not given him (Singh) this pain. It was given by the Congress itself. His posters are not being put up, he is not being given prominence," Chouhan said.
"I never imagined the Congress will treat one of its leaders in this manner. Congressmen should, at least, respect their leader," the chief minister added.
State Congress chief Kamal Nath parried questions on Singh's video by saying, "I am not aware of the context in which he was stating this".
Polls for the 230-member MP Assembly are scheduled for November 28 while counting of votes will be taken up on December 11.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
