Jyotiraditya Scindia has said that a new Madhya Pradesh Congress chief must be appointed.

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, whose resentment with his leadership is all but public, did not mince words on Wednesday as he acknowledged infighting within the party and called out Chief Minister Kamal Nath. "It is the Chief Minister's responsibility to resolve differences within the party after hearing all sides," Jyotiraditya Scindia told reporters.

Mr Scindia was commenting on the public sparring between a state minister, Umang Singhar, and former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, which has underscored the cracks within the Madhya Pradesh Congress.

"If such issues are happening, then the Chief Minister should listen to both sides and solve them," Mr Scindia said, not denying the feud when reporters questioned him today.

He added: "There should be no interference in the government, there are no two ways about it."

On Monday, Umang Singhar, the state Forest Minister, had hit out at Digvijaya Singh for asking for a meeting with ministers to discuss work he wanted done, and accused him of "running the government from behind the curtain".

He called Digvijaya Singh a "blackmailer involved in illegal mining and liquor trade rackets in the state" and said the CBI should investigate him. Mr Scindia said the allegations he had raised "should be heard by the Chief Minister".

Beneath the latest row is the larger dispute over a state Congress chief. While Kamal Nath retains the post even after taking over as Chief Minister following the Congress's return to power in the state in December after 15 years, Mr Scindia has said that a new chief must be appointed.

The former MP's supporters have launched an aggressive bid pitching him for the post. Mr Scindia has said nothing officially but he has held discussions with interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi twice. Asked who would be chief, he said on Tuesday: "The party high command's decision will be final."

There have been unconfirmed reports that the 47-year-old has threatened to quit the Congress if he was not made Madhya Pradesh chief, and also had a meeting with BJP leaders.

After the Congress victory in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Scindia lost out in the race for chief minister but he was compensated with a prestigious assignment - leading the Congress campaign for the national election in Uttar Pradesh along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The election was an all-round disaster for Mr Scindia; the Congress crashed not just in UP but also in Madhya Pradesh, just five months after its state poll victory, and Mr Scindia lost in his long-time constituency Guna.

With going public, Mr Scindia has made it clear to his party that his claim to the job of Madhya Pradesh Congress chief is the strongest. His supporters are more obvious - a few of them have threatened to quit en masse if he is not elevated.