Digvijaya Singh Told to Concentrate on Uniting Party Workers Rather Than His Ambitious State-Wide Yatra

Bhopal: All India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijaya Singh’s state-wide political yatra, postponed indefinitely after it was slated to begin on May 15, could now be turned into a quieter district-wise meet-and-greet with party workers.

A senior party leader told News18 that Singh’s yatra could commence from next week but instead of being a state-wide affair, it would be a district-wise yatra in which the former chief minister would be meeting party workers.

Singh would be in the state capital on Thursday to take part in the party’s SC wing. The details of his yatra could be finalised over the next few days, said the leader.

After completion of his ‘apolitical and spiritual’ Narmada Parikrama, the two-time chief minister had announced the state-wide journey to gather support for Congress and regroup party-cadre ahead of the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh later this year.

His close aide and party veteran Rameshwar Neekhra had on April 27 announced that Singh would be undertaking his yatra from Lord Ram’s abode Orchha on May 15.

However, the AICC general secretary quietly backtracked from the journey. Multiple theories began floating about the reason behind the move.

Sources in Congress claim that the party high command, which distanced itself from the Narmada Parikrama, were not enthusiastic about his political journey, prompting the politician to put brakes on his yatra till the high command clears its stance.

Interestingly, Congress president Rahul Gandhi did not attend the Narmada Parikrama against the prevailing expectation in the party. His presence in the conclusion ceremony was widely anticipated.

Another theory suggested that MPCC president Kamal Nath, too, had declined to clear the yatra.

Other sources claimed that Singh was indirectly conveyed a message that this wasn’t the time for such yatras as the elections were so close by. The senior leader was asked to rather focus his energies on uniting party workers. The dismissive voices were concerned that Singh’s yatra could backfire given his contentious past as two-time CM of Madhya Pradesh.

The BJP had come to power by raising the pitiable condition of ‘Bijli, Sadak and Paani (Electricity, Roads and Water) during Singh’s regime.