Amid mounting speculation about his departure from the Congress to join the BJP, sources close to Kamal Nath have informed NDTV that while he has not formally resigned, he harbors dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs within the party. He perceives a significant departure from the organization he joined over five decades ago.
According to sources, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, who arrived in Delhi on Saturday, has not held meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah or Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has, however, heard expressions of welcome from leaders like BJP Madhya Pradesh President VD Sharma regarding his potential entry into the BJP.
Reports suggest that constituents in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara, a constituency Nath represented as an MP for nine terms, are urging him to align with the BJP to expedite development. The senior Congress leader has acknowledged that he is contemplating the matter. Speculation is also rife about his son, Nakul Nath, joining the BJP alongside him.
Nath has communicated his discontent to Congress leadership, feeling that Rahul Gandhi’s focus on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and the delegation of party affairs to senior leaders like Jairam Ramesh, KC Venugopal, and Randeep Surjewala have sidelined crucial matters. Reports refuted claims that Nath’s dissatisfaction stemmed from being excluded from the Rajya Sabha polls; instead, he advocated for Ashok Singh’s nomination over senior leader Meenakshi Natarajan, reportedly Rahul Gandhi’s choice.
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has reportedly urged Nath to remain within the party fold.
Rumors intensified after Nakul Nath removed ‘Congress’ from his social media bio, but sources maintain that his son never had the party affiliation listed to begin with.
The Congress has refuted reports of Nath’s departure, emphasizing his longstanding association and highlighting Indira Gandhi’s endorsement of him as her “third son” during campaigning in Chhindwara in 1979.
Jitu Patwari, who succeeded Nath as the Madhya Pradesh Congress president, dismissed speculations, underscoring the commitment of Congress workers to Nath’s leadership, particularly during the Assembly elections.
Nath’s potential exit would deal a severe blow to the Congress, already reeling from multiple high-profile departures, including that of former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan. Nath, aged 77, has dedicated much of his life to the Congress, serving as a Lok Sabha MP for nine terms and as a Union minister besides his tenure as Madhya Pradesh chief minister.
His departure, especially ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, would not only psychologically impact the Congress but also leave the party vulnerable in Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP secured 28 out of 29 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, with Nakul Nath being the sole Congress victor.
