'No Congress MLA will defect in Madhya Pradesh': Digvijay Singh

Contrary to Gujarat, no defections of Congress MLAs will take place in Madhya Pradesh ahead of the elections for three Rajya Sabha seats, senior party leader Digvijay Singh said on Sunday.

In the light of resignations by 22 MLAs of the Congress in March this year, which led to the fall of Kamal Nath government, Singh demanded a stricter anti-defection law in the country.

On three MLAs of the Congress resigning as the members of the Gujarat Assembly in the last few days ahead of the June 19 elections to Rajya Sabha, Singh accused the ruling BJP of playing "politics of money" and resorting to "horse trading".

"The BJP has earned a lot of money and is engaged in the politics of horse-trading, so it is hard to say about MLAs switching sides," he said.

Singh said the MLAs who wanted to leave the Congress had done so in Madhya Pradesh.

"Those who decided to stay in the party have passed a tough exam. So, this (defection) is not going to happen in MP," Singh said while addressing a press conference. In March this year, 22 MLAs of the Congress, led by former Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, had resigned and joined the BJP.

On defection of Scindia, Singh said, "I used to tell Scindia that he will lead the Congress in Madhya Pradesh for the next 25 years as Kamal Nath and I are growing older. But, he was impatient and ardently desired to become a minister in the Modi cabinet".

Singh said Scindia was like a son to him. "His father (late Madhavrao Scindia) had made his place as a brave and honest leader in the Congress," he said. Singh said the Congress always treated Jyotiraditya Scindia with a lot of respect.

"Priyanka Gandhi Vadra used to hold workers' meetings at the residence of Scindia. Rahul Gandhi had said that Scindia was the only person who could meet him any time without appointment. What was the need for him to leave the party after he lost one election (from Guna in 2019)?" Singh asked.

He said a strict anti-defection law introduced by then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985, barring elected representatives from contesting for six years in the event of defection, should be re-introduced.

"Peoples' mandate is being purchased...Our country needs a strict anti-defection law that was introduced by Rajiv Gandhi in 1985," he said. On the Congress' prospects in 24 bypolls in Madhya Pradesh, whose schedule is not yet announced, Singh said the party would ask people to punish the "traitors" who have betrayed their trust by joining the BJP. He demanded that the ruling BJP continue with the loan waiver scheme launched by then CM Kamal Nath.

"We will take the loan waiver scheme to the people and ensure that the Congress wins all the bypolls and Kamal Nath becomes the chief minister again," he said while dismissing reports of differences between him and Nath. Singh also criticised the state government for "diluting" labour laws. "Lockdown is an opportunity for the BJP to help its rich friends," he added.

Singh also opposed a proposal by the government to set up private mandis, terming it "anti-farmer". He also demanded details of the buses claimed to be operated by Shivraj Singh Chouhan government for ferrying five lakh migrant labourers during the lockdown. "Fare was charged from passengers," he alleged. Responding to a query, Singh said that he would oppose fielding of former deputy leader of opposition Choudhary Rakesh Singh, who had quit the party, in the bypolls. After joining the BJP, Choudhary had returned to the Congress during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.