We couldn’t connect with voters, will introspect why: Kamal Nath

Digvijaya had walked the length and breadth of the state. Kamal Nath, too, had undertaken a whirlwind tour of the state, especially the BJP strongholds.

Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Amit Shah, Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections 2023, Indian express news, current affairs

MP Congress chief Kamal Nath with party leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Digvijaya Singh after the party’s defeat in the Assembly elections, in Bhopal on Sunday. PTI

Former chief minister Kamal Nath said the party would introspect “why we couldn’t connect with the voters”, while veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, also a former CM, behaved in a stoic manner leaving the party headquarters in Bhopal without responding to the reporters’ queries on Sunday, after the party suffered a massive defeat at the hands of the BJP.

Digvijaya had walked the length and breadth of the state. Kamal Nath, too, had undertaken a whirlwind tour of the state, especially the BJP strongholds.

“Kamal Nath was unable to energise the cadres the way Amit Shah could. The BJP announced its candidates much before we did and we could not grapple with the rebellions. Many of our workers joined other parties and damaged our prospects,” said another Congress leader from Bhopal.

“Our organisation structure was missing in many places. It is difficult to build it from scratch at the last hour. The BJP has more workers and money; they launched a massive public outreach programme… We had scarce resources,” said a Congress worker from the Bundelkhand region.

There is a feeling among many Congress workers that they were unable to communicate to the voters to make them understand the party’s policies. The party also grappled with a lack of resources to match the BJP which undertook over 600 rallies, with CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan alone attending 164 of them. The number of Congress poll rallies in the state stood at 300.

“Our social media campaign was good, but we were spread thin in many places where we should have focused more. We will examine the results in the coming days… We did work hard but lost,” said a senior leader who was a member of the Congress election committee.

Some party insiders said the Congress lacked a narrative to woo the voters.

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“We promised a caste census, which in principle is good but it is difficult to explain to voters what benefit they would get,” said a Congress leader.

The party leaders also blamed the lack of fresh faces, sloppy election management and failure to stem rebellions in the party as reasons for the defeat.

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More