The Congress’ electoral fortunes in Madhya Pradesh are in abject shambles, and to alleviate a fraction of the Grand Old Party’s woes, Gandhi-loyalist Digvijaya Singh has now taken to beg election candidates of non-Congress and non-BJP parties to accept hefty favours and withdraw their nominations. Samajwadi Party candidate from Gwalior, Roshan Mirza has now come out in the open and revealed that Digvijaya Singh asked him to withdraw his nomination ahead of upcoming Assembly byelections in Madhya Pradesh. A video of the alleged conversation between Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and the SP candidate has also gone viral on social media, exposing the hilarious pre-poll management of the Congress.
By polls to 28 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh are to be held on November 3, and the Congress stares at the prospect of getting completely wiped out. Nevertheless, the party, for reasons best known to them still, is hopeful of winning all 28 assembly seats and forming the government on its own once again. While the BJP is required to win nine odd seats to consolidate and cement its position in the government, the Congress must win all seats to even think of forming the government once again. In such a scenario, candidates from third parties like SP become a major headache for them, as they would cut Congress votes in a three-way fight, which will seamlessly help BJP win all seats up for grabs.
Digvijaya Singh called me & told me to withdraw from upcoming bye-polls. He said I'll give you Councilor's ticket. I told him I won't withdraw & will contest: Roshan Mirza, SP candidate for Madhya Pradesh bye-polls on alleged viral audio of Digvijaya Singh asking him to withdraw pic.twitter.com/iYI1PuTgMx
— ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2020
SP candidate Roshan Mirza, speaking to the press, said, “Digvijaya Singh called me and told me to withdraw from upcoming by-polls. He said I will give you Councillor’s ticket. I told him I won’t withdraw and will contest.” Mirza also alleged that a Congress leader named Aslam offered him Rs 10 lakh to withdraw his candidature. Despite being offered 10 lakh rupees and an assurance by Digvijaya Singh that he would be given a ticket during the councillor elections, Roshan Mirza decided to fight the by poll and kick the Congress’ electoral fortunes further into the grave in Madhya Pradesh.
In the leaked audio tape, Singh can be heard saying, “Mirza sahab, Digvijaya speaking. Why are you contesting…to help the BJP and make them win? Why do you want to contest? You know how elections are fought, in what conditions and later what happens? What is the need for contesting the polls? Withdraw it, we will take care of you.”
Reacting to the development, BJP leader Lokendra Mishra said, “Digvijaya Singh has come out of his hole at last stage of elections. He doesn’t believe in democracy but in management. He has said in past that elections are won by management. He himself might have made the audio viral.” Singh has meanwhile accepted that he pleaded the SP candidate to withdraw his nomination, and proudly suggested that there was nothing wrong in doing so.
