Bhopal/New Delhi, Feb 19 (PTI) Amidst escalating tension within the Madhya Pradesh Congress, AICC in-charge General Secretary for the state, Jitendra Singh, will arrive in Bhopal on Tuesday for crucial discussions with party MLAs to gauge the on-ground situation in the backdrop of suspense over former CM Kamal Nath’s next move.
The visit comes against the backdrop of intense speculation over future moves by the Congress veteran Kamal Nath, who is currently camping in New Delhi, despite repeated assurances from his associates in the national capital on Monday that there are no plans for him to leave the party and cross over to the ruling BJP.
A close aide of Kamal Nath addressed the media following a meeting with MLAs and other camp leaders in New Delhi, where the party flag sporting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ briefly went missing before reappearing.
While the former chief minister (77) had initially planned to address the media directly, he opted to communicate indirectly through his associate Sajan Singh Verma, a former Madhya Pradesh minister.
Ahead of his visit to Bhopal on Tuesday, AICC in-charge Singh dismissed as “misinformation” the speculation of Kamal Nath’s possible switch to the BJP and asserted that the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister will join in the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in the state.
“Kamal Nath ji is a senior leader of our party. All these speculations have been made by the BJP and the media. I spoke to him yesterday (Sunday) and the day before yesterday (Saturday) also and we discussed the preparations of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,” Singh told reporters at the Congress headquarters in Delhi.
Although Singh’s visit aims to engage with the party’s 66 legislators and gauge the on-ground situation, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) officially stated that his tour is related to meetings regarding the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
A Congress MLA, considered a loyalist of Nath, expressed uncertainty about the agenda of the upcoming meeting and told PTI that he had got a phone call to come over to Bhopal for a meeting. “But I was not told about the agenda of it,” the MLA said.
The political landscape in Madhya Pradesh remains tense as speculations swirl around Kamal Nath’s future within the party, which suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the BJP in the November 2023 polls in the state.
Despite his extensive political experience and close ties with the Gandhi family, the former Union minister’s position has been precarious since his removal as the state Congress president following the party’s poor performance in the Assembly polls.
As parleys continue behind closed doors, the possibility of Kamal Nath and his son Nakul, a Lok Sabha MP, shifting to the BJP has been refuted by former CM’s confidant Verma, who emphasised Nath’s long-standing commitment to the Congress and dismissed any notions of defection.
Verma insisted Kamal Nath and his son Nakul Nath are not crossing over to the BJP and asserted that the latter will contest the Lok Sabha polls, likely to be held in April-May, from his current constituency Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh as the Congress candidate.
Talking to reporters after meeting Nath at his residence in New Delhi, Verma said he had a detailed discussion with the Congress veteran, who told him that he would soon hold a meeting in Bhopal for ensuring the success of the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
“He (Nath) told me that ‘I will call all the in-charges of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee and discuss the preparations for the Lok Sabha polls. I asked about the media speculation about him, to which he said why should ‘I answer an imaginary question’,” Verma said.
Kamal Nath arrived in Delhi on Saturday afternoon and during his brief interaction with reporters, he asked them not to get excited.
Asked if he is joining the BJP, the former CM remarked, “If there would be any such thing, I would inform you first.” With the political climate in Madhya Pradesh evolving rapidly, all eyes are on the developments within the Congress camp as they navigate through internal challenges and external pressures.
Political analysts said the BJP does not want to take a gamble by inducting Kamal Nath ahead of the Lok Sabha polls as it would invite the wrath of Sikh organisations which have accused him of fanning the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi in 1984.
Even the BJP before the MP Assembly polls had openly accused Kamal Nath of allegedly being involved in the anti-Sikh riots. The former Union minister has repeatedly rejected allegations of involvement in the riots which took place nearly four decades ago. PTI LAL MAS ASK SKL RSY
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.