The talks over change of guard in the State Congress are over as MPCC president Arun Yadav after meeting party vice-president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi signaled that he has been assured that the next Assembly elections due next year would be contested under his leadership only.
Sources in the Congress told that of late senior State party leaders including Kamalnath, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Digvijay Singh had a meeting with party president Sonia Gandhi and many decisions were taken in the interest of State and party organisation is now following them.
The BJP has been in power for 14 years in Madhya Pradesh and the Congress feels that this time around, if it fights well, it can ‘wrest the State’.
Yadav while talking to The Pioneer said, “I called on Rahul Gandhi on Saturday at 12.30 pm and discussed issues including next year Assembly elections. All senior State party leaders would be shouldered with important responsibilities by the national leadership to take on the ruling BJP and we are sure that together we would be able to oust the BJP Government and form the Congress Government in Madhya Pradesh in 2018.”
Yadav further said that all the senior leaders are united to take on Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the Congress Government would be formed in the State.
Yadav’s claim, however, disappointed senior Congress leader and nine-time parliamentarian Kamalnath’s supporters who were pinning hopes that their leader would be shouldered with the responsibility to head the fractious MPCC. Although they are hopeful that Kamalnath would either get charge of the State prior to Assembly election or would be projected as chief ministerial candidate.
Another senior State party leader, former Chief Minister and now Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Digvijay Singh said, "Everybody knows the state of affairs in MP and I will certainly support any leader of the MPCC and we will take on Shivraj Singh Chouhan unitedly. We just need to take some long-pending decisions."
However, Jyotiraditya Scindia camp is celebrating with the unconfirmed news that he is likely to be made the leader of the House in the lok Sabha. During 2013 Assembly elections, Scindia was MP Congress campaign committee chairman but failed to deliver.
MPCC chief spokesman KK Mishra on the party strategy in the 2018 Assembly elections and whether there are any plans to hire Prashant Kishore or any other strategist ahead of polls, said, "Party leaders itself would formulate strategy and would emerge winner in the next Assembly elections. The State would have Congress Government in 2018 for sure."