Stop nominations from Delhi, says Digvijay Singh

By SS Banyal New Delhi, Oct 20: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, reportedly close to the Congress President Mrs.Sonia Gandhi is of the view that if there is no interference from the Congress High Command in the working of the PCCs, the party could be strengthened effectively at the grassroots level.

"Nominations from Delhi must stop" if the party is to be rejuvenated.

The views of the Pradesh Congress Committees should be given due weightage so that the "para-troopers" who manipulate tickets and nominations for Rajya Sabha are stopped.

The practice of nominations from Delhi has done an incalculable harm to the Congress organisation, Mr Singh remarked.

He said let there be free and fair organisational elections at the earliest so that a message goes to the ordinary workers that the party leadership is genuinely interested in building the party structure from down below.

If elections are held freely and not manipulated, the grassroots workers would get back their confidence and this would certainly help strengthen the party.

Let there be elections at every level from village to the top so that entire mass of congress workers is involved , the Chief Minister added.

In an exclusive interview to the National Press Agency, first after the election results of the Lok Sabha, Mr Digvijay Singh said that Lok Sabha results in Madhya Pradesh have not disheartened him.

He is rather enthused that the Congress vote percentage has increased though there has been only an addition of one seat to the Congress tally as compared to 1998 election.

He is happy that the BSP is going down hill and that the Congress is getting back the confidence of the Dalits and the other poorer sections.

This is a positive sign.

Besides the BJP’s vote share is stagnant.

In the Assembly election, the BJP got 39 percent vote and this vote share has been there for long time because there has been no increase in the vote percentage.

However, he admitted that it was the "Atal Behari Vajpayee factor" which made a big difference this time and the BJP could win seats.

The ebullient Chief Minister, who has brought back Congress to power for the second term, is of the view that if the Maharashtra episode had not occured, the Congress would not have done so badly.

With the expulsion of Mr Sharad Pawar it was bound to affect the Congress adversely in Maharashtra and it did when the Congress failed to get majority is entering into a coalition with the Nationalist Congress Party to form a government.

Similarly the Congress misjudged things in Haryana by supporting Mr Bansi Lal and the result is there for everyone to see.

But for the Maharashtra and Haryana faux pas, the Congress has gained in Karnataka and in Punjab.

Even in Bihar and UP the Congress has done well this time.

"Our vote share has gone up in both these States where at one time the Congress had been wiped off totally.

We are now on the road to recovery" Mr Singh remarked.

Asked about the role of Sonia Gandhi in the 1999 election Mr.Digvijay Singh said that she had done well under the circumstances.

She is now fully determined to set the Congress house in order and "I am confident she will be able to do that in due course".

One should not get disillusioned with her leadership because she alone has the potential to bring back the party to power at the Centre.

He said the Congress could not effectively counter the anti-congress campaign by the BJP.

Unfortunately the BJP launched personalised attacks against the Congress President and some of this sinister propaganda stuck.

This was also a new experience for Mrs Gandhi and in the next election whenever it is held, she would be in a much better position to ensure the victory of the Congress Party.

Already the voters have realised that it is the Congress alone which can provide a good and stable government and therefore they have decided to come back to the Congress fold .It is evident from the election results of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.