Cong prez poll: MLAs from MP to reach Delhi to back Digvijaya

Bhopal, Sep 29 (IANS) Ever since the poll schedule for the post of Congress president was announced, there has been an unending buzz that two leaders from Madhya Pradesh may file nominations -- Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh and state Congress chief Kamal Nath.

Kamal Nath said that he was not in the race of the Congress' top post as he wants to focus on the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, which is just 14 months away.

Digvijaya Singh on Thursday reached the party headquarters in New Delhi from Kerala where he was participating in Bharat Jodi Yatra with Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders, and collected the nomination form. With this fresh twist in the race of the Congress chief, he made it clear that he wants to be a contestant.

He has also got the support from the Congress unit of Madhya Pradesh and a delegation of party's MLAs would reach the national capital to extend their support to Singh.

Digvijaya's brother Laxman Singh, who had once joined the BJP and returned to the Congress in 2013, said, "Our parents have always taught us about struggle. Me and my brother, Digvijaya Singh, are not the ones who would step back. We will fight."

Meanwhile, leader of opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly -- Dr. Govind Singh, who is considered close to Digvijaya Singh, claimed that Kamal Nath had asked him to reach Delhi with party's MLAs. "Nearly two dozen MLAs, including Dr. Govind Singh would reach Delhi by late night or early Friday morning," sources told IANS.

"Why Digvijaya Singh would be the best candidate for AICC head, it has three reasons -- First, he is a good orator with a decades of experience of both administration and the organisation, second, he belongs to the Hindi-speaking belt where the party's condition is completely deteriorated, and third reason is that the Congress head should be a person who can take on PM Modi and, therefore Digvijaya Singh would be the best candidate for the party's to post," said a Congress leader on condition of anonymity.