The MP Chief Minister was here to attend the 42nd Dhammachakra Pravartan Din celebrations at the historic Deeksha Bhoomi grounds on Vijayadashmi day. Talking to media persons before leaving for his state capital on Friday morning, he discussed the political scenario in Madhya Pradesh.

His Nagpur trip is considered as a move to explore the possibilities of entering into an electoral alliance with the Republican Party of India or forging some kind of electoral understanding with that party in districts on the MP-Maharashtra border. RPI has pockets of influence in these districts.

Digvijay Singh met RPI leader R S Gavai late Friday night in the presence of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sharad Pawar. They are believed to have discussed the possibilities of forging an alliance between Congress and RPI on theMaharashtra pattern. Replying to questions on this issue, he said decision on such sensitive issues would be be taken only in consultation with the party high command. Singh listed the factors that would help the Congress to overcome a stiff challenge posed by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Congress is counting on an overwhelming support from minorities, which includes the Jain community. The Congress is also expected to gain more votes because of stark failures of the BJP-led government at the Centre, particularly its failure to contain the price rise. The issue of rising prices hitting hard the common man is bound to be raised during the campaign. Yet another factor is that the BJP is not as confident as it was before facing the 1993 elections, he noted.

When asked about factionalism in his party, Digvijay Singh said the Congress party is not alone in this problem. Almost all political parties were grappling with it and the Congress is not, as it seemed, at a great disadvantage, Digvijay said. Aboutquestions on performance of his government in the last five years, he remarked that the performance was ``fairly good''.

About the latest issue of the rape of nuns, he blasted the organisations of `Sangh Parivar'. He alleged that there was a sinister design behind this episode. Organisations of Sangh Parivar wanted to whip up the feelings of the majority community and gain political mileage. The Parivar planned it in such a manner that one organisation makes a statement saying that there was nothing wrong in the cases of attack on nuns. At the same time, other organisations of the Parivar try to project themselves as a secular body by condemning attacks. The Congress would expose their gameplan, he said.In reply to a question about formation of a separate state of Chhattisgarh, he said the ball was in the Centre's court. A resolution recommending formation of Chhattisgarh state was passed by the state legislative assembly at a special sitting, he recalled.