DOORS OPEN FOR ALLIANCE IN MP, SAYS SCINDIA

Senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia has said his party’s “doors are open” for an alliance in Madhya Pradesh and seat sharing will not be a “speed breaker” for like-minded parties to come together.

Scindia, who is the Madhya Pradesh Congress’s campaign committee incharge for the polls later this year, also asserted that after a long time in the state, all party leaders were working “unitedly and cohesively” to take on the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.

However, he said, the likemindedness has to be based on a fundamental precept of values and vision which was for a liberal, secular and a progressive India.

“And I think if that is our fundamental understanding of each other, and our values and our philosophies, then I think something like ticket sharing is not going to be a speed breaker in like-minded parties coming together,” said Scindia.

Asked about Congress’s possible alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Madhya Pradesh, he said his party’s “doors are open” and it was ready for having “conversations” with other parties, but asserted that there should be a clear understanding of what the ultimate goal is. “And if it (the goal) is to establish a government that serves the people, unlike what the NDA has done, then certainly in states where any of those partners are strong, that rightful place of strength has to be given to that partner, but at the same time, the larger, the more stronger partner, has to ensure that an equal amount of respect and dignity is also given ...” he said in an interview to PTI.

NEWDELHI: