 "2023 Madhya pradesh legislative assembly, digvijaya singh")
Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, on Tuesday, filed his nomination from Rajgarh Constituency, considered his pocket borough, after a gap of 33 years. And the Madhya Pradesh Congress is betting on the veteran leader to secure the constituency.
The 77-year-old leader appealed to the janata, saying that this election would be his final one.
“We cannot sacrifice our future generation for his last contest,” BJP leader Narottam Mishra said in response to his plea. The BJP has fielded the party’s two-term sitting MP, Rodmal Nagar, from the constituency.
Digvijaya Singh’s political history
Digvijaya Singh, aka Diggi Raja’s victory in this election, is important not only for his reputation but also for the future of Congress in Madhya Pradesh, which heavily relies on him. Digvijaya Singh, once considered to be Rahul Gandhi’s political guru, has a vast and diverse political portfolio in Congress and a great political stronghold.
Digvijaya Singh began his political career in 1969 when he was elected president of the Raghogarh municipality. He was the son of Balbhadra Singh, the Raja of Raghogarh (under the Gwalior State). Vijaya Raje Scindia extended an invitation to him in 1970 to join Jan Sangh, but he chose to join the Congress instead.
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राजगढ़ लोकसभा से कांग्रेस प्रत्याशी पूर्व सीएम श्री दिग्विजय सिंह जी का कार्यकर्ताओं और समर्थकों के नाम संदेश। वे कल 16 अप्रैल 2024 को राजगढ़ में लोकसभा चुनाव के लिए अपना नामांकन भरेंगे। इस दौरान उन्होंने कार्यकर्ताओं से किसी भी तरह के शक्ति प्रदर्शन नही करने का निवेदन किया है। pic.twitter.com/NkCNAK8PIA
— Rajgarh Lok Sabha (@Rajgarhloksabha) April 15, 2024
He was elected as an MLA from the Raghogarh Vidhan Sabha constituency, his ancestral seat, in 1977.
In 1984, he was elected to the 8th Lok Sabha. Faced defeat in the 1989 general elections to a BJP candidate but regained it in the 1991 general election. In 1993, he resigned from the membership of the Lower House as he was selected as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh by Congress high command Sonia Gandhi and remained the chief minister till 2003.
1993 was the time when Congress snatched power from the BJP in the assembly elections by winning 174 seats of the 320-member house. Singh, who was the state party president, was appointed as the chief minister, among many veteran party leaders.
Digvijaya Singh’s stature grew when Congress won the 1998 assembly election under his leadership.
His brother Lakshman Singh won the Rajgarh in a 1994 by-election and held it until 2009, albeit with a twist: he joined the BJP in 2003 and won the seat on its ticket in 2004. In 2009, Lakshman Singh was defeated by the Congress’ Narayan Singh Amlabe and returned to the Congress in 2013. His readmission to the Congress party was reportedly facilitated by Digvijaya Singh.
In 2003, Congress lost badly to the BJP under the leadership of Digvijaya Singh in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections, winning only 38 seats out of 230. Singh, however, was the Congress candidate who won.
After 2008, Digvijaya Singh involved himself in the Congress’ central politics. He was also the AICC general secretary and oversaw policy formation in states like Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. In 2014, he was appointed to the Upper House of Parliament. He faced defeat in the 2019 general elections from BJP’s Pragya Singh Thakur.
In the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections, Digvijaya Singh was given the responsibility for more than 60 assembly seats.
What can go against his possible victory?
Digvijaya Singh is contesting the election from Madhya Pradesh, which was a stronghold of the BJP for decades. In the 2023 assembly election, the BJP secured 163 of the total 230 seats and the party has sworn to completely wipe out Congress from Madhya Pradesh in this 2024 general election. Congress, which holds only one Lok Sabha seat in the state, has a lot at stake.
The Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat from which Digvijaya Singh has filed his nomination consists of eight assembly seats, of which only two belong to the Congress.
Singh’s ideology is also a factor that cannot be ignored. His evidently liberal and sometimes controversial remarks have often put him in the headlines. Digvijaya Singh has been a strong critic of the RSS and said that the “right-wing extremist group” is dividing society along religious lines and spreading hatred among communities.
He recently alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) instigates Hindus, while the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), headed by Owaisi, provokes Muslims, but they complement each other and work in tandem.
He has also faced strong criticism for his remark, “Does anyone live there?” on the recent Kacchatheevu island row. PM Modi slammed the comment and said, “For them (Congress), an uninhabited part of the country is just a piece of land... Tomorrow, they will give away the uninhabited part of Rajasthan to any country.”
The Congress-factor, his strong filial bond with his son, and his very few efforts towards the improvement of his political image, which the BJP has tarnished in the state with the “corruption allegation against his CM tenure”, are some of the points that can go against him.
What can work in Singh’s favour?
What political leaders say at the national level often holds little bearing on regional politics. Given that this will likely be his final election, Digvijaya Singh may garner the popular mandate. Push forces can also be effective in politics at times. Pitted against Digvijaya Singh, BJP’s Rodmal Nagar may not be as popular among voters this time.
A seasoned leader gets his way in politics, and Digvijaya Singh has been a loyalist to the Congress party. Digvijaya Singh has attempted to assert his significance in the region by holding many rallies and yantras in Madhya Pradesh. In 2017, he commenced a private six-month ‘Narmada yatra’ and tried to reconnect with the local people. He also participated in Rahul’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. The BJP is yet to hold a significant campaign rally in the constituency.
