Digvijaya, Scindia spar over tickets in MP

NEW DELHI: Fissures emerged in the Madhya Pradesh unit of Congress with top leaders Digvijaya Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia sparring over ticket distribution for the state elections scheduled later this month.

Digvijaya Singh, however, was quick to dismiss the reports that he and Scindia had a spat in Congress president Rahul Gandhi's presence, and that the latter had to intervene to cool tempers. Singh tweeted, "It is being wrongly reported in press that I and Scindia ji had any argument and Rahul ji has to intervene. All of us in MP Congress are one and determined to defeat the corrupt BJP govt in MP."

Singh and Scindia are understood to have been tasked with identifying winnable candidates for MP polls slated for November 28. The differences allegedly rose over the choice of candidates.

To settle the differences before they adversely impact the battle in a major state, it is learnt that Congress president has commissioned a three-member committee, comprising Ashok Gehlot, Veerappa Moily and Ahmed Patel, to look into the matter and resolve issues.

The row comes in the backdrop of Congress not having announced its chief ministerial candidate for MP. While Digvijaya Singh, the two-term MP CM has slowly taken a backseat in the state and is believed to have "recused" himself for the top job, Scindia and veteran leader Kamal Nath are being considered as the likely aspirants for the chief ministerial post.

Rahul Gandhi has so far skirted the issue of who he is likely to back, maintaining that leaders have unique qualities.