MP-GAUR-CONG

BJP veteran Gaur claims Digvijay "offered" him Bhopal LS seat
    Bhopal, Jan 24 (PTI) BJP veteran and former Madhya
Pradesh Chief Minister Babulal Gaur Thursday claimed he was
"offered" to contest election from the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat
on a Congress' ticket.
    Asked about reports of Congress leader Digvijay Singh
approaching him to join the ruling party, Gaur said, "He
(Singh) visited my residence last month and offered me to
contest election from the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat on a Congress
ticket."
    While the Congress maintained it was not aware of any
such development, the BJP said the ruling party in the state
was facing shortage of leaders.
    Asked if he has taken any decision on the offer, Gaur
said, "I haven't thought about this offer yet. I heard his
offer, (and) will keep (it) in mind."
    Gaur, however, rejected suggestions he was unhappy
with the BJP and said his daughter-in-law and MLA Krishna Gaur
was fielded by the party from Govindpura assembly seat.
    Reacting to Gaur's statement, the BJP said the
Congress has been facing a dearth of leaders and making offers
to functionaries of other political parties.
    "Gaur ji is a leader associated with the party's
ideology. On the other hand, Congress doesn't have any
leadership or cadre and looking for leaders in other parties.
    "I don't know in which capacity, Digvijay Singh has
been making this offer because he himself was removed from the
post of general secretary by his own party," said Rahul
Kothari, state BJP spokesman.
    On the other hand, the Congress sought to distance
itself from the issue.
    "Gaur ji and Digvijay ji know about their discussions.
The state party unit has no idea what transpired between both
the leaders," MP Congress spokesman Narendra Saluja said. PTI
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