(Above) Digvijay and Laxman Singh

Bhopal, April 28: Munnu and Chunnu are together again and the news has pleased many in the sleepy Raghogarh town of Madhya Pradesh, although both the Congress and the BJP are less than pleased with the possible reunion.

After a gap of several months, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, who is locally addressed as “Munnu Raja”, arrived in pocket borough Raghogarh two days ago. But what pleased the residents most was that he was accompanied by younger brother Laxman, fondly called “Chunnu Raja”.

In these two days, the brothers held an open court at Raghogarh Qila, meeting relatives, political workers and farmers alike over glasses of chchas (buttermilk), aam ka panna (raw mango drink) and tea.

Laxman’s accompanying Digvijay is significant because six years ago, he had left his elder brother to join the BJP. Laxman was a Congress MP and his desertion in 2004 was a personal blow to Digvijay, who had carefully nurtured the image of a principled family patriarch.

Laxman had, however, taken a lot of liberties. Apart from insisting upon having a separate entrance at the Raghogarh fort, he had fought his elections from the joint family premises.

Digvijay had stayed away but in Congress circles, his move to let his younger brother have a “free hand” in Raghogarh had come under criticism after Laxman won comfortably as a BJP candidate in the 2004 general elections.

In 2009, however, Digvijay struck back hard. He camped in Raghogarh and elsewhere in Rajgarh-Guna districts and ensured Laxman’s defeat. While Digvijay managed to humble Laxman, the division in the royal ranks did not go down well with most residents of Raghogarh.

Laxman is tight-lipped about his return to the Congress, insisting that for the time being, he wants to focus on apolitical and developmental issues. But the Madhya Pradesh Congress, headed by Digvijay-baiter Suresh Pachauri, is shuffling uncomfortably. Among other things, Laxman’s return to the Congress could signal his elder brother’s return to the electoral arena.

After his defeat in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections in 2003, Digvijay, who was then chief minister, had publicly vowed not to contest any election in the next 10 years.

His self-imposed exile will end in 2013, around the time Madhya Pradesh goes to the polls in which Pachauri and other Congress leaders are hoping for the party’s return to power.

The ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh is feeling let down by Laxman’s likely return to the Congress. The local unit of the party had bitterly opposed Laxman’s entry because they felt that as a representative of the Raghogarh fort, he was also to blame for the lack of development in the region.

Moreover, Laxman’s presence had denied them a chance to go all out against the former feudal lords.

Uma Bharti, who was the chief minister in 2004, was also opposed to Laxman’s induction just ahead of the polls. She had viewed it as a case of “opportunism” as the BJP-led NDA government was ruling at the Centre and was largely perceived to retain power.

Insiders feel both Digvijay and Laxman have strong reasons to come together. There are compelling personal motives that are prompting the two brothers to renew their bond, they believe.

The Scindia factor too is at work as Raghogarh was part of the erstwhile Scindia empire. Both Digvijay and Laxman do not approve of Jyotiraditya Scindia’s attempts to expand his political base or benefit from a division in the Raghogarh royalty.

More significantly, “Munnu and Chunnu rajas” do not want the Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat to stay with commoners for too long. At present, the seat is held by Narain Singh, who is a Digvijay loyalist.