Madhya Pradesh: Of two Congress veterans divided by ideological pursuit, not factionalism

Former MP CMs and senior Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh (left) and Kamal Nath. (PTI Image/File)

The run-up to the assembly election in Madhya Pradesh, due in November, is witnessing an intriguing scenario. While the BJP is, predictably enough, steadfast on Hindutva, its core ideology, the Congress seems to be hunting with the hound and running with the hare on two unbridgeable ideologies, Hindutva and secularism.

The hunter is PCC chief Kamal Nath and the runner is former chief minister Digvijaya Singh. Their camaraderie and seemingly opposite ideological position has left political observers wondering whether this is a reflection of confusion in the party or a deliberate obfuscation in the bid to woo the electorate across the political spectrum.

One Ploughs A Lonely Furrow

A recent tweet from Digvijaya Singh illustrates the apparently conflicting views of the two tallest Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh. In the tweet the Congress veteran sought to educate “fraud Babas” and “ignoramus” right-wing volunteers the “true” meaning of jihad. He argued that jihad is an Arabic word which means, among other things, struggle to protect moral values.

Known for his diatribes against the Sangh Parivar for decades, Digvijaya Singh’s main target in the tweet was well-known preacher Pt Pradeep Mishra who had a day before exhorted Hindu girls to arm themselves against “love jihad“ overtures from Muslim boys, at his discourse in Bhopal. Mishra is one of the two most sought after religious preachers – the other being Bagheshwar Dham’s Baba Dhirendra Shastri – in the BJP circles ahead of the assembly elections in the state. A large gathering for his five-day Katha was organised in Bhopal by local MLA and minister Vishvas Sarang.

Unsurprisingly, the BJP strongly objected to Digvijaya Singh’s oblique reference to Pradeep Mishra and dubbed his tweet as an insult to Sanatan Dharma. The Congress did not react but many in the party, off the record, termed the veteran Congress leader’s tweet uncalled for.

The Other Flaunts Pragmatism

The Congress’s silence is being interpreted by political observers as manifestation of the party’s dilemma whether to follow Digvijaya Singh’s line of no-holds-barred attack on the RSS and its sympathisers including assorted Babas or go with Kamal Nath’s strategy of competing with the BJP by leveraging Hindu symbolism for electoral ends.

The dilemma is all the more acute because a few months ago Kamal Nath had genuflected before Pt Pradeep Mishra and Dhirendra Shastri. Also, many Congress leaders have organised Kathas by the famous, if controversial, preachers in their respective constituencies, not unmindful of the fact that their worldview perfectly aligns with that of the RSS.

The coming assembly election is proving so tricky that the Congress feels the need for both Digvijaya Singh’s aggression and Kamal Nath’s soft-pedalling vis-a-vis BJP’s hard Hindutva.

The PCC chief is pragmatic and ideology-neutral. He is essentially an industrialist and his corporate-style of politics does not brook rigidity of any kind. On the other hand, Digvijaya Singh is an avowed secularist who openly cherishes left-of-Centre ideology. Nonetheless, their apparent companionship has raised hopes for the Congress of victory in the coming election.

A Rare Tango In Politics 

While Kamal Nath is trying hard to poach the BJP’s vote base of devout Hindus, Digvijaya Singh is seeking to disabuse the liberals and Muslims of the misgivings these strong anti-BJP sections might harbour over the PCC president’s dalliance with hard Hindutva.

Although a deeply religious man, Digvijaya Singh refrained from showing off his religiosity all through the Madhya Pradesh tour that concluded last month. Kamal Nath had entrusted him with the task of energising party workers in 66 out of 230 assembly segments where the Congress has not won in the last three decades.

Soon after completion of the Bharat Jodo Yatra of which he was a key organiser, Digvijaya Singh undertook travel of the BJP’s strong bastions in February. All through his travels across the state, the veteran leader focused his attacks on the BJP government’s alleged corruption and also pointed out a sense of insecurity among the Muslims due to alleged hooliganism of hot-headed elements in the saffron fraternity.

At none of the press conferences during the tour did he betray the party’s inclination to flaunt religious symbolism with an eye on Hindu votes. He submitted the report of his review meetings in these constituencies to Kamal Nath. The report sounds very optimistic of the Congress prospects in the 66 previously weak seats, this time round.

Although his political career has had more lows than highs since he led Congress to a crushing defeat in the 2003 assembly election, the former chief minister has remained the most popular leader among liberals and Muslims owing to his unflinching commitment to secularism. Having regained the trust of Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Digvijaya Singh has  reemerged as the most powerful Congress leader in the state.

His current powerful stature is a far cry from the campaigning for the 2018 assembly election when Digvijaya Singh would not be allowed to take the centrestage lest his presence reminded the people of the “dark period” when he was the chief minister.

Rakesh Dixit is a senior journalist based in Bhopal. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.