CHACHAUDA (Raghogarh): Congress leader Lakshman Singh, who has often ruffled the feathers of senior party leaders in Madhya Pradesh with what he calls his “witty” remarks, has said he respects them and is now a “dedicated soldier” of his party to ensure its victory in the assembly polls.
The five-time MP and two-time MLA from the state said all issues have also been resolved with his elder brother and former chief minister Digvijay Singh and they are “one” now.
The 63-year-old leader, who is pitted against BJP’s sitting MLA Mamta Meena in the assembly election for this seat, also said he apologises to Kamal Nath, about whom he had said that making the former union minister the party’s state unit chief was like “playing HMV record in the age of bluetooth technology”.
He supported the party’s decision not to project a chief ministerial candidate for the November 28 elections for 230 assembly seats of the state and said what matters the most was that people want to end the BJP’s 15-year rule.
The Congress leader said the party MLAs will meet after results to decide on the chief minister and he was sure that the party high-command would listen to the elected legislators.
“I don’t think they will thrust someone from Delhi. They will let the MLAs decide and the decision will be done in 1-2 hours. We will decide very well, very fast” Singh told PTI in an interview during his campaign tour of the area.
Singh has been on both sides of the political spectrum in the state and apart from his numerous assembly and parliamentary victories, he has also been in news for his statements, sometimes very candid and at times controversial.
“I apologise for that (tweet on Kamal Nath). I was just a witty remark. I like wit and I appreciate wit and I try to be witty but not to hurt anybody. I am not the one to hurt anybody’s sentiments. I respect Kamalnath ji and he is like a family member. I respect Scindia ji (Jyotiraditya Scindia) and he is also like a family member,” Singh said.
“But, wit is a part of life and it will continue to be part of life,” Singh said.
Lakshman, who had left the party in 2003 after the Congress lost the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, had joined the BJP and won the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from the Rajgarh seat, but lost in 2009.
He was later expelled by the BJP for anti-party activities after he criticised the then party president Nitin Gadkari for some alleged remarks against his family.
His joining the BJP did not go down well at that time with his elder brother who is addressed affectionately in the state as ‘Diggy Raja’.
Asked if all was well between him and his brother now, Singh replied in affirmative.
“Everything is perfectly fine and we are all together. Bygone is bygone. He campaigned for me and will continue to do so. Much water has flown under the bridge. We are all one, one, one and we will win, win, win,” he said.
Singh said the Congress is upbeat that it will end the 15-year-long rule of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in the state.
“When public is against the government or against the party, when the public opinion or sentiment is against it, then no strategy works. Anti-incumbency is a big reason and secondly Congress has done very good homework in distributing tickets.
“That is why Congress is looking upbeat and my reading is that the first list that was issued for 155 candidates by the party will form the government. (meaning all these candidates will win). The other lists will be added on,” he said exuding confidence.
Singh, addressed as ‘chottey saab’ in in the family bastion of Raghogarh, said the Congress’ strategy of not projecting a chief ministerial face will pay off as people have decided to support “anybody but Shivraj.”
“This strategy will pay off. Chouhan (Shivraj Singh) is not popular any more. He is having problems in his own vidhan sabha constituency (Budhani) and the result will show,” he said.
“The ‘janta’ (public) is not saying he or she should be the CM when it comes to Congress. They are saying BJP and Shivraj should be removed and anybody from Congress can be the CM. We will decide on the chief ministership after we get majority,” he added.
Singh said he is hopeful of winning his own seat with a good margin and accused his opponent of unleashing “rampant corruption” in the area.
Talking to PTI, BJP candidate Mamta Meena, however, rejected the allegation and said she has been “very active” in her area during last five years and the assembly seat has benefitted from schemes of the state and central governments.
Meena, wife of an IPS officer, had won by a margin of over 34,000 votes in 2013.
The Chachauda seat, on the MP-Rajasthan border, is next to the Singh family pocketborough Raghogarh and it has mostly elected Congress candidates barring a few exceptions. (AGENCIES)
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