MP Cong legislature party meeting to elect opposition leader

Faction-ridden Congress Legislature Party (CLP) is meeting here tomorrow to elect the Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, with the party satraps vying for the plum post.

The post fell vacant after the death of then Opposition Leader Satyadev Katare in October last year.

AICC general secretary and Madhya Pradesh in-charge of the party affairs Mohan Prakash and the Central Observer for the LoP's election, Ajay Maken are expected to arrive in the state capital tonight.

Names of former LoP Ajay Singh, belonging to Digivjay Singh camp, and Mukesh Nayak, a former minister, are doing the rounds.

According to party insiders, Nayak, a Brahmin, and Digvijay, a Thakur, are rivals.

Among the leaders whose names are also in the reckoning for the post are Ramniwas Rawat, who belongs to Jyotiraditya Scindia camp, and deputy LoP Bala Bachchan of former Union minister Kamal Nath-led faction.

During the last election of the LoP, the factions led by Digvijay Singh and Scindia, which had supported Ajay and Katare, respectively, almost came to blows in front of the state Congress office Indira Bhawan.

Sources said the party high command might hand over an envelope mentioning the name of the leader to avoid embarrassment to the party should the factions create ruckus.

State Congress chief spokesperson KK Mishra said all party MLAs have been asked to be present at tomorrow's meeting.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)