India, Oct. 5 -- It was a battered road, not an ideological clash, that turned Gwalior into the latest theatre of factional politics in Madhya Pradesh. Yet the public outcry over potholes has exposed a deeper struggle for dominance between two heavyweights of the ruling BJP - Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and State Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar.
When torrential rains left Gwalior's roads in shambles, Scindia, seeking to demonstrate quick action and reaffirm his authority in his traditional stronghold, convened two high-level review meetings with district officials. His intervention, a hands-on approach consistent with his political style, was meant to signal responsiveness at a time of mounting public anger.
But conspicuousl...