Towards the end of August, the Congress in Madhya Pradesh organised what it referred to as a ‘unity show’ in Chhindwara. The party leadership had hoped that this symbolic demonstration of solidarity would better its disastrous showing in 2003, when it was reduced to 38 seats in the house of 230. But symbols can go only so far, and the Congress in the state remains a house divided. In fact, the ‘unity show’ was probably the only time party stalwarts shared a common platform in the recent past.

Once the elections were notified, the leaders of different factions — and there are several — went back to seek tickets for their supporters in what loosely qualifies as the ‘quota system’ of the oldest national party.

From Commerce Minister Kamal Nath to IT Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to MPCC president Suresh Pachauri to HRD Minister Arjun Singh and his son Ajay Singh, and former chief minister Digvijay Singh, all got tickets for their followers. Having wangled tickets for their followers after a lot of hard work in Delhi, they went back to their respective turfs to campaign for their nominees.

The party never spoke in one voice and the campaign was clearly fragmented along the lines of different factions. The Congress failed to challenge the ruling BJP as a united body. There was Nath whose aggressive campaign, concentrated mainly in Chhindwara and nearby districts, saw his supporters calling the election a battle between Kamal and Kamal (the lotus is the BJP’s symbol).

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