BJP 'day-dreaming' in MP, Congress government to complete term: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Terming the Karnataka political crisis a result of the “BJPs efforts to get power through backdoor, senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday said the saffron party is “day-dreaming” if it thinks such attempts will succeed in Madhya Pradesh. Asked about the ongoing political crisis in Karnataka and defection by Congress lawmakers in Goa, he said there is nothing new in what is happening in these states and hit out at the BJP over the developments.

On Wednesday, 10 of the 15 Congress MLAs in Goa, led by Leade0r of Opposition in the Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar, split and merged with the BJP. Talking to reporters, Scindia said, “There is nothing new as far as the situation in Karnataka and Goa is concerned.  The BJPs thinking is straight - where they cant get entry (to power) from front gate, they enter through backdoor.”

“Their (BJP’s) only goal is to form government and have fun. They have nothing to do with public,” the former Union minister said. Asked about the Congress strategy to counter any possible BJP plan to destabilise the Congress-led government in Madhya Pradesh, Scindia said, “As far as MP is concerned, they (BJP) have tried a lot during the past six months.

“I will only say to the BJP that as far as Madhya Pradesh is concerned, it will be like Mungerilal ke Haseen Sapne (“day-dreaming”). The Kamal Nath government has a wafer-thin majority in the state assembly and is being supported by MLAs from the BSP, the SP and four independent lawmakers.

Asked about any internal message to Congress MLAs on staying alert on machinations by political rivals, Scindia said, “There is no need to give any internal message to the MLAs. Our MLAs are elected by public. They understand their accountability well. They are mature.”

Scindia, a former Lok Sabha MP, expressed confidence the Congress-led government in Madhya Pradesh, which assumed charge in December 2018, will complete its five-year term.

“There is a need to end horse-trading in democracy and encourage public service. “I am confident Congress MLAs and those supporting us would continue to stand with us like a rock. They can try but the Congress government is strong. We will complete five years, he said.

In the November 2018 assembly polls, the Congress had emerged as the single-largest party with 114 seats, two short of the simple majority mark 116, in the 230-member House.

Later, the party formed the government under the leadership of Kamal Nath with the support of two BSP, one SP and four independent MLAs.

Asked about dynastic politics, Scindia said, “When the son of a journalist, trader, lawyer or doctor can adopt his parents profession, why cannot a leader’s son become a leader?”

The 48-year-old Congressman, who comes from a political family, said a leader has to go to public and win their faith through elections.

Talking about his defeat from Guna in the recent Lok Sabha elections, Scindia said a leader gets opportunity to serve people only after facing “agni pariksha” (acid test) by going among them.

Asked whether the Congress would follow the BJP’s informal policy of setting age bar for contesting polls or form a “Margdarshak Mandal” for its veterans, he replied in the negative.

“I am not Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi). I will say dont divide the people of this country into young and old,” Scindia said.

Before talking to reporters in the Vidhan Sabha premises, Scindia watched the proceedings of the state assembly, which is having its monsoon session, for about an hour from the speakers gallery.