Congress needs to project a face in poll-bound states: Jyotiraditya Scindia

BHOPAL: Senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia today said the party needed to project a face and strengthen the organisation ahead of Assembly elections in various states next year.

"I have said this earlier also, and I believe that projecting a face is important in current political situation. But it does not mean only a face, we have to strengthen the organisation also," said Scindia, considered a potential chief ministerial candidate of Congress in Madhya Pradesh, in an interview to PTI here.

"We have to give the leadership to a person who has the potential to take along everyone with a new vigour," he said, when asked if Congress needed to project a face in MP, like it did (by projecting Amarinder Singh) in Punjab before the polls and won.

Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh are among the states which will go to the polls next year.

On Congress candidate Hemant Katare's victory in Ater Assembly by-poll in Scindia's pocket borough of Chambal, he said, "We have to give tickets on the basis of capability, rising above the politics of your and mine candidates. We have to treat entire Congress party as a family to move forward.

"The victory in Ater, I believe, is the result of this unity among Congress leaders," said Scindia, Congress' Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha.

When asked how long the Congress will take to effect change of guard in its Madhya Pradesh unit, he said it was up to the party leadership.

"I am just a soldier, whatever responsibility is given to me, I will abide by it. Change will take place, but only the party leadership will take a call on its time," he said.

People were unhappy with the BJP rule in Madhya Pradesh, but the Congress should not be complacent, he said.

"We mustn't think that people will vote for us simply because they are tired of BJP. For that we have to work hard, go to the masses, offer them a viable alternative backed with solid policies and present them a blue-print," he said.