Madhya Pradesh politics is on the boil with state forest minister Umang Singhar calling his party senior and former-chief minister Digvijaya Singh a blackmailer.
The minister, while speaking to media on Tuesday, also alleged that Singh was involved in illegal sand mining, liquor business, transfers of IAS and IPS officers and that if a CBI inquiry is done, everything will come to fore.
Singhar, a prominent tribal leader and nephew of a former leader of opposition late Jamuna Devi, on Monday also sent a letter to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, accusing Digivijaya Singh of interfering in the functioning of the government and wanting to emerge as a ‘power centre’.
The minister’s attack on the ex-CM continued on Tuesday as he said that Digivijaya wanted to become the PCC chief at the age of 72 years and put pressure on the government for his benefits.
The issue emerged after reports that Digvijaya Singh had written letters to the minister seeking details of the action taken on works he had requested or recommended. Singhar has said that Digvijaya himself leaked the letter to the media and creating a tense situation.
There has been no reaction yet on the matter from Digivijaya Singh, who was travelling from Kolkata to New Delhi on Tuesday.
The matter is also being looked upon to be linked to the appointment of MP Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief. Singhar was earlier said to be among the front runners for the post, but Digvijaya Singh reportedly opposed his name. Singhar told media on Tuesday he had no interest in becoming PCC chief, but Digvijaya wanted the post at the age of 72 years.
Former MPCC chief Arun Yadav has added to the internal conflict scenario with a tweet that he was 'extremely hurt' with the current developments. "I am pained with the scenario that is emerging within eight months after 15 years of difficult struggle with sincere party members. If I had an inkling that this situation will emerge, I would not have fought with poisonous elements at the risk of my own life," Yadav said in a Hindi tweet.
Yadav finds himself sidelined in MP politics now after his losses in both assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who had on Monday said that everyone knows who was running the show in Madhya Pradesh, is said to be very angry at the developments and was scheduled to meet ministers and MLAs on Tuesday evening, wherein the issue of internal conflicts was likely to be discussed.
There have been instances of ministers and MLAs locking horns with each other, with MLAs of the ruling party as well as supporting parties like Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party alleging neglect and humiliation by the ministers.
Sources told The WEEK that there was a likelihood that media guidelines might be issued to the ministers and MLAs as to on which matters they could speak to the media.
Congress spokesman Manak Agrawal has said that chief minister Kamal Nath is a seasoned politician and he will resolve the matter soon.
Meanwhile, the BJP has assumed an attack mode and asserted that the matter would be taken up with the governor.
Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava said that the internal conflict in the ruling party was affecting the development work in the state as well as the welfare of government and this would be taken up with the governor.
Ex-chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that Congress president Sonia Gandhi should respond on what is happening within the party and who was blackmailer and who was not. He also said that the people of MP did not elect a government so that there would be power tussle among those who were in the government. “The people of the state should not suffer because of this internal conflict,” Chouhan said.