New Delhi: Congress leader Kamal Nath on Saturday sidestepped direct media queries regarding his rumoured plan to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Asked to deny the rumour that he is mulling dumping the Mallikarjun Kharge-led party, the politician said he would inform the media first.
“Why are you guys getting so excited?” Nath said, after arriving in Delhi.
A reporter then pointed out that he was not denying the rumours empathetically.
“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 would be any such thing, I would inform you first,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kamal Nath‘s son Nakul Nath, the member of parliament from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara, has removed Congress from his X bio, which now simply identifies him as an MP.
Kamal Nath had been camping in his family pocket borough Chhindwara. He represented the constituency nine times in the lower house of the Parliament.
Nakul Nath’s unilateral declaration that he would contest the Lok Sabha elections from the constituency apparently fuelled the rumours that the Congress is not at the centre of the family’s future political plans.
Digvijaya Singh denies rumours
Digvijaya Singh denied the rumours. However, he reminded Nath of his long association with the Nehru-Gandhi family, which has been at the helm of the Congress party.
“A person who started his political journey and stood with the Nehru-Gandhi family when Indira Gandhi was sent to jail by the Janata Party, do you think such a person will ever leave Congress and the Gandhi family?” Singh said.
Open invitation by BJP
BJP state president VD Sharma yesterday said that the party’s doors are open for other senior Congress leaders who are upset with the party rejecting the invitation for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple.
“So today I am telling you about the environment, we have kept our doors open because there are people in Congress who feel that Congress boycotts Lord Ram, India has Ram in its heart. When Congress insults him, then there are people who are pained by this, who are upset, and they should get a chance. If those whose names you are taking have pain in their hearts, then they are also welcome,” Mr Sharma said when asked about Kamal Nath.
Kamal Nath was the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh when several MLAs revolted against him and toppled the government.
In the 2023 Madhya Pradesh elections, the BJP decimated the Congress by winning 163 of the 230 assembly seats. Kamal Nath was later replaced as the Madhya Pradesh unit chief.
The speculation of Kamal Nath’s switch comes days after Milind Deora and Ashok Chavan quit the Congress.
Congress denies rumours
The Congress called the reports baseless.
“For the first time when Kamal Nath fought elections, then Indira Gandhi said that Kamal Nath is her third son…in the 45 years of political journey of Kamal Nath, in both our good times and bad times, he has been working with the party for the last 7 years as Madhya Pradesh Congress chief. I still remember when Scindia toppled the Congress govt in MP, all the Congress workers stood with Kamal Nath’s leadership and ideology…the news that’s speculating is baseless…can you imagine Indira Gandhi’s third son leaving Congress? Can’t think about something like that even in dreams,” Congress leader Jitu Patwari said.
With inputs from PTI, ANI
