Digvijaya Singh is a senior Congress leader, Rajya Sabha MP, and the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. In this interview, he sits down with Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri to discuss Jyotiraditya Scindia’s exit from the Congress, recent defections in Madhya Pradesh, his political ambitions, and when he thinks Rahul Gandhi will return as president of the party.

On Scindia’s defection to the BJP, a move that toppled the state government in Madhya Pradesh, Digvijaya says, “I am seriously telling you, I never, never expected Jyotiraditya Scindia to defect. In fact, till March 4 or 5, I was in touch with him. But after that, he suddenly switched off his phone.” He reiterates that relations between him, Scindia and Kamal Nath were very cordial.

On being asked about toeing the “soft Hindutva” line during his tenure as Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Digvijaya says he belongs to a religious family and has no qualms in owning up to his religion. “At the same time, my religion, or my ‘sanatan dharma’, is equal respect to all religions,” he adds. “This is what I believe in.” He believes there is some sort of understanding between the communal Hindu and the communal Muslim, and they feed off each other.

The conversation also spans fake news, the future of Indian politics, and where this might head in a post-Covid world.

Watch.