BHOPAL: He was the undisputed and absolute authority in Madhya Pradesh leading the erstwhile Congress government ten years ago. And yet on Wednesday evening, the Congress closed its doors on AICC general secretary and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh denying him entry into a press conference.

For nearly 20 minutes, Digvijaya Singh and his supporters stood outside the doors of the state PCC conference hall banging on the wooden panels and requesting entry even as Union minister of state Jyotiraditya Scindia was talking to the media. Scindia has been appointed the party's state election campaign committee chairman earlier this week while Digvijaya Singh has been left-out of the 22-member election committee panel.

Scindia continued to address the media flanked by AICC general secretary in charge of state party affairs Mohan Prakash, senior leader Sanjay Nirupam, PCC president Kantilal Bhuria and leader of opposition Ajay Singh, while Digvijaya Singh's men made desperate calls from their mobile phones asking Congress workers inside to open the door and make way for his access.

As Digvijaya Singh kept waiting outside, Scindia was talking the press claiming there was no factional rivalry within the party. He claimed leaders like Digvijaya Singh, Union minister Kamal Nath other leaders like Suresh Pachauri and the state top-brass were all strung together in a single garland of unity. Meanwhile the banging on the door continued and Scindia asked Congress workers not to let in whoever was knocking. Senior Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam also instructed that admittance into the hall is not permitted.

Congress workers were seen guarding the door from inside lest the Singh and his supporters managed to unlock the gate. When the doors were not opened, Digvijaya Singh walked around the Congress office compound to gain entry through a back door. But that door was also jammed and a miffed Digvijaya Singh turned to the elevator so he could wait for the rest of the party leaders to join him for an election meeting.

But half-way up the second floor, the elevator stopped working. An infuriated and irate Digvijaya Singh had had enough and told his supporters to turn around and walk-out of the state Congress office. Hurt and humiliated, he climbed into his SUV and left the Congress office with his supporters following in a cavalcade.

Recently with approaching assembly elections, Digvijaya Singh is getting unfair treatment at the hands of party men and specially a much younger Jyotiraditya Scindia who is being portrayed as the Congress' chief minister probable. Earlier this month, the Scindia faction organized a rally in Morena where Digvijaya Singh was kept waiting for more than two hours by the Union minister of state. A much-harassed Digvijaya sat on the dais in Morena sweating profusely and waiting for Scindia's arrival on the stage. The programme scheduled to start at 1pm finally saw Jyotiraditya Scindia arrive at 3:15pm.