Congress asks Nath, Scindia to sort out rift

Unhappy over public spats between Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and party General Secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Congress’ top leadership has asked the two leaders meet this week to sort out their differences.

The task of mediation has been assigned to party state in charge Deepak Babaria, said sources. The party high command is unhappy over the spat between the two top state leaders, which is creating a wrong perception of the party, said a leader.

Kamal Nath and Scindia have been on loggerheads on the issue of poll promises which have been not been fulfilled by the government. Scindia has maintained that he will take to the streets if the promises made in ‘Vachan Patra’ are not fulfilled, while Kamal Nath, who met interim chief Sonia

Gandhi on Friday and attended the party coordination committee meet on Saturday where Scindia was also present, has dared him to do so.

The Congress has sought to played down the entire episode with party spokesman Randeep Surjewala terming both Kamal Nath and Scindia “amongst the most dedicated leaders of the party”.

He said if there are any grievances, the party will hear them and devise a patch-up formula. “What you see as spat is a manufactured one and the equation and relation between the two are cordial and great... both are working for strengthening the party,” he said.

Meanwhile, Scindia said he is a public servant and will have to hit the streets if promises made in the manifesto for the 2018 Assembly polls, which brought the party to power in Madhya Pradesh, are not fulfilled.