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Saffron leadership concerned over Digvijaya’s friendship with Chouhan, Tomar

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New Delhi, April 16: The saffron leadership is concerned over Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's friendship with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Narendra Singh Tomar, say sources.

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Chouhan and Union Minister Tomar are also Thakurs like Digvijaya Singh.

Saffron leadership concerned over Digvijaya’s friendship with Chouhan, Tomar

According to the sources, top Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP leaders' concerns have deepened after the Congress has fielded Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal, a seat that has been a stronghold of the BJP for decades.

These four states will decide BJP's fate in 2019 LS pollsThese four states will decide BJP's fate in 2019 LS polls

"Digvijaya Singh enjoys friendly relations with Chouhan and Tomar as they all are Thakurs. As an understanding, they don't create hurdles for each other on their respective seats during elections. Due to the politics within the Congress, Digvijaya is forced to fight from Bhopal and this has worried the RSS and the BJP leadership that the friendship of these Thakur leaders might cost the BJP in Bhopal," sources tell OneIndia.

It's notable that Digvijaya Singh is fighting an election which will decide the fate of his political career. It's a matter of prestige for Singh to win Bhopal seat as he has been challenged by his party colleague and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath to fight from a tough seat and win to prove that he is really a tall leader.

Singh wanted to contest from Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat, which is considered as his bastion.

Sources say that the RSS and the BJP leadership is not in a mood to sacrifice even a single seat in the name of friendship.

"This is the reason that Chouhan is under pressure from the BJP to contest the Lok Sabha election against Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal so that the party should retain the seat at any cost," say sources.

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Chouhan, on the other hand, has openly said that he doesn't want to contest Lok Sabha elections and is seeking party ticket for his wife from Vidisha and not Bhopal. However, both the seats are considered safe for the BJP as it has not lost the seats from last three decades.

Sources also say there are talks in the BJP to field Chouhan's wife from Bhopal, to which the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister is also not comfortable.

Chouhan's reluctance has strengthened the concerns of the BJP and the RSS leadership, say sources.

The BJP has still not announced its candidates from Bhopal, Vidisha, and Indore, another stronghold of the party.

According to the sources, "The BJP and the RSS don't want to field a weak candidate against Digvijaya Singh. If Chouhan is not ready to face Digvijaya Singh then Tomar may be shifted from Morena to Bhopal to thwart any chances of a walk over to the Congress leader."

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Tomar, sitting Gwalior MP, has been moved to Morena this time. On April 6, the Union minister told party workers in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, "I am not sure where from to contest this election. I don't know whether I will fight the election from Morena or not."

Sources say that idea behind the whole exercise is to ensure 'friends' are fielded against each other in Bhopal as no one would throw away his seat no matter how strong his bonding with Digvijaya may be.

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