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Journalism of Courage
Even as senior Congress leaders insisted there was no possibility of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath leaving the party for the BJP, some in the party’s state unit admitted things had gone downhill ever since the disastrous showing in the Assembly polls and his ouster as state president.
“Kamal Nath has not dismissed any of the rumours. He has not said even once that he would take strict action against those spreading rumours. This has caused many in the party anxiety…this is a ploy by the BJP to spoil Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra which will enter Madhya Pradesh soon,” said one senior party leader.
Another leader weighed in that the party high command had botched his exit as the state chief. Nath was projected as the CM face and enjoyed almost full autonomy in decision making – from ticket distribution to the campaign strategy – but the party’s final tally suggested the gamble had not paid off.
Said another senior leader, “He was not taken into confidence over the appointment of Jitu Patwari (as his replacement as MP unit chief). He was subsequently sidelined by the Congress party and disappeared from posters. He was miffed and did not turn up for Patwari’s nomination, meeting him only weeks later.”
Leaders also said that Nath was frustrated with the party not taking immediate action against spokesperson Alok Sharma, who alleged in an interview that the Congress veteran may have had an understanding with the BJP and that the “arrogance of one person spoiled the entire election atmosphere”.
On Saturday, Nath and his son Nakul arrived in Delhi after abruptly cancelling his programme in Chhindwara, setting off political circles abuzz with rumours of the father and son joining the BJP.
Nath was touring his constituency in Chhindwara when he cancelled his plans and left for Delhi. Adding more fuel to the speculation was when Nakul dropped Congress from his bio on his social media accounts. A state BJP spokesperson, Narendra Saluja, also tweeted a picture of the father-son duo with the caption ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
This development comes a day after state BJP President V D Sharma said doors were open for Nath to join the party if he had pain in his heart since his party insulted Lord Ram.
After landing in Delhi, Nath told reporters: “It is not about denying, you are saying this, you people are getting excited. I am not getting excited, this side or that side, but if there is any such thing, I would inform you first.”
His confidant Sajjan Singh Verma addressed a press conference in Indore where he spoke about removing the Congress symbol from his own social media account. “If the person with whom I did politics for 40 years – if from his profile it is removed, then even from my profile it should be removed. Kamal Nath has not taken any decision yet. Maan, samaan aur swabhimaan. People do politics because of that. They take a different path. I am not saying Kamal Nath had experienced something similar. Wherever Kamal Nath goes, Sajjan Verma will follow.”
On Friday, former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh had said that he spoke to Nath over the phone. “If someone who joined his political career with the Nehru-Gandhi family. He stood with them… can you expect such a person to leave the party. You should not have such expectations,” Singh said.
Ragogarh MLA and son of Digvijaya Singh, Jaivardhan Singh told The Indian Express, “My father spoke to him yesterday. We are hopeful that someone of his stature decides to stay. Kamal Nath hasn’t said anything. We still have hopes, we are waiting and watching.”
On Saturday, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari too dismissed the rumours: “Can you imagine Indira’s third son leaving the Congress? Even in your dreams, can such a thought occur that Kamal Nath, under whose guidance we fought the Assembly elections just two months ago, would leave the party? When (Jyotiraditya) Scindia was leaving the party, it was people like us who were taking blows from the police to ensure that Kamal Nath would remain chief minister. Can he leave us? These are rumours. For the Rajya Sabha nominations, Ashok Singh’s name was presented by Kamal Nath. We also took his name after that. This news is false.”
Nath, while addressing a gathering in Chhindwara earlier in the day, said that together, they will “start a new journey of development”. “I have given my youth for Chhindwara. In the end, I want to say, till my last breath we will be together and start a new journey of development,” he said.
Nakul, while speaking at the public function, urged voters to vote for him, promising he would double the speed of development in Chhindwara. But he did not talk about the Congress party in his speech.
Nath is a nine-time MLA from Chhindwara which has remained firmly in his family’s grasp since 1980. Nakul became the Chhindwara MP in 2019, the sole seat the Congress managed to retain while it was swept away in the remaining 28 seats. However, he won by a margin of 37,536 votes, which surprised Congress leaders in the state who expected a better showing.
