Next election in MP can make or break us in Congress: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Interview with former Union minister and Congress leader

Former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who might be asked to lead the Congress party in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, to Amit Agnihotri on current issues. Edited excerpts:

The Congress has been attacking the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh after six protesting farmers were killed in police firing. How determined are you to sustain your protests?
 

We will take the issue to its logical conclusion. We want justice for the families. We want a probe against those who ordered the firing. The incident is a slur on both state and country. We are also pressing the central government to agree to the demands of the protesting farmers. That includes am increase in minimum support prices (MSPs), accountability for not implementing the Swaminathan commission report on farm issues and a loan waiver. 

The Centre has said states should fund their own farm loan waivers. 
 

When the Bharatiya Janata Party’s UP  government has done it, the Congress governments in Punjab and Karnataka have, why can’t the MP government do so? 

Why drag in the Centre?
 

MSP is set by the central government; a farm loan waiver should normally be done by it. The centre has become a mute spectator. Farmers from Tamil Nadu came and protested at Delhi and outside Parliament and not a single person from the central government  went and met them. Farming provides employment to 53 per cent of people.
 

During the Congress-led UPA government, from 2004 to 2013, MSP prices increased by 150-300 per cent. In the past three years of this NDA government, MSP prices have risen not even by 12-15 per cent. In the last three years of UPA, the agricultural growth rate was a compounded four per cent annually; in these three years of the NDA government, it has been a compounded 1.7 per cent. 

There is speculation that you might be given the role to head the MP Congress ahead of assembly polls next year. What is your strategy?
 

The decision has still not been taken.

If it happens, how would you deal with factionalism in the MP Congress?
 

This is a do or die election for the Congress. It can make us or break us. There is no option but to put our best foot forward. There is no division in the state unit and we are all working together. That was demonstrated by the recent 72-hour satyagrah we organised in Bhopal to highlight the farm crisis. The Congress is like one big family, where all leaders must get respect. 

Beside overall development, the three issues I would like to focus on to win back the state are unemployment, wellbeing of farmers and securing the vast swathes of our 7.5 crore residents. We will also raise the poor state of education in MP, which has had the Vyapam jobs scam, and the plight of teachers. It is a combination of issues that we will flag against CM Shivraj, who says he is the son of a farmer. 

How is the party reorganising itself nationally, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha poll?
 

We are working on a blueprint for the poll-going states and for the 2019 election as well. It will emerge soon. 

You are considered to be working closely with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. When is he taking over as party chief? 
 

He should have taken over yesterday. The earlier, the better.