Laxman Singh a five-time Lok Sabha MP, three-time MLA, and brother of party veteran Digvijaya Singh has delivered a scathing denunciation of the Congress high command just 24 hours after his expulsion from the party’s primary membership.
The former MP was expelled on June 11 for six years, with the party citing “anti-party activities.” But according to Singh, the truth behind his removal is not rebellion — but his refusal to obey a party directive that demanded blind allegiance to Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. Speaking candidly to the press in Bhopal, Singh stated that he was pressured to declare that “Rahul Gandhi will be the next Prime Minister of India” — a demand he outright rejected.
“I don’t do astrology,” Singh said pointedly. “The people of this country will decide who becomes Prime Minister — not the coterie that surrounds Rahul Gandhi.”
Sources close to Laxman Singh revealed that the show-cause notice issued to him last month gave him a way out — provided he publicly endorsed Rahul Gandhi as the nation’s next leader. “It wasn’t about ideology or policy — it was about one man,” Singh alleged, pointing at the Congress high command’s obsession with elevating Rahul Gandhi at all costs.
Singh described the move as nothing short of extortion: “I was told the notice will be withdrawn if I gave a statement that Rahul Gandhi is India’s future PM. I refused — because that is not how democracy works. This is not a royal court where courtiers must praise the prince.”
The Congress party has not yet responded directly to these allegations. However, insiders speaking off the record describe Singh’s removal as “necessary disciplinary action” — a narrative that now stands heavily disputed.
Laxman Singh’s sharpest blow, however, came when he referenced Rahul Gandhi’s recent comment about replacing “lame horses” in the party with “racehorses.” In a retort laced with cultural symbolism and sarcasm, Singh quipped:
“Someone who hasn’t even had his own wedding procession taken out is now talking about racehorses and wedding horses. What does he know about how a wedding horse even walks?”
राहुल गांधी की बारात निकली नहीं..उन्हें क्या पता बारात का घोड़ा कैसा होता है – लक्ष्मण सिंह❗
कांग्रेस पार्टी से निष्कासन के बाद पहली बार मीडिया से मुखातिब हुए लक्ष्मण सिंह pic.twitter.com/WR8n58BOvA— Oc updates (@ocjain4) June 14, 2025
The metaphor, rooted in traditional Indian culture where the groom rides a horse during the wedding procession (baraat), was not just an attack on Gandhi’s bachelor status — it was a symbolic challenge to his leadership credentials, maturity, and experience.
This scathing remark, now viral on social media, is being seen as a deep cut into Rahul Gandhi’s attempts to project himself as a seasoned and capable national leader. The friction between Singh and the Congress leadership escalated dramatically after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. During a condolence meeting for the victims, Singh publicly stated:
“Rahul Gandhi and Robert Vadra are immature. The country is suffering due to their immaturity.” This statement, made in a moment of national mourning, drew intense backlash from within the party. A show-cause notice was issued soon after, accusing Singh of “tarnishing the party’s image.”
But according to Singh, his statements were reflective of what many within the Congress feel but are afraid to express. “I simply voiced the frustration of countless grassroots workers who are watching this party be hijacked by a handful of people,” he said.
Laxman Singh’s expulsion is not the first time he’s been thrown out of a national party. In July 2010, he was expelled from the BJP for criticizing its then-leader Nitin Gadkari over remarks made about the Congress and Afzal Guru.
His political journey began in 1987 from Raghogarh. He served as an MLA three times and was elected to the Lok Sabha five times — four times with the Congress, and once with the BJP (2004–2009). After returning to Congress in 2013, he had hoped to restore democratic functioning and internal debate within the party — hopes now dashed by what he calls the “dynastic, dictatorial culture” of the Gandhi family-led leadership.
Singh’s most damning allegation lies in what he terms a “culture of forced praise” — a political environment where criticism is punished, dissent is silenced, and loyalty to one surname trumps merit, vision, or ground-level connection.
“It’s no longer about the people, or about policy. It’s about praising one individual — even if you don’t believe in what you’re saying. That’s not politics. That’s sycophancy,” Singh declared.
His words echo similar criticisms by other disgruntled Congress leaders who have either quit or been expelled in recent years. Many insiders claim that the party is facing an existential crisis — not just electorally, but ideologically.
While Singh hasn’t made any official announcements about his future political plans, the intensity and tone of his statements indicate a complete severance from the Congress. Whether he will return to the BJP, float a regional outfit, or join another national party remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: the Congress’s expulsion of Laxman Singh has not silenced him — it has amplified a long-suppressed voice of dissent that exposes deeper fissures within the party.
