On Saturday, Kamal Nath, a prominent Congress leader, heated up Madhya Pradesh politics amid speculation that he and his son, Chhindwara MP Nakul Nath, will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Speculation of Joining Kamal Nath to BJP |
Political Drama Unfolds: Kamal Nath's Delhi Visit, Son's Bio Change, and Congress Loyalty
Kamal Nath is in Delhi, apparently meeting with BJP leaders, while his son Nakul Nath has removed Congress from his bio. Madhya Pradesh Congress officials have refuted the reports, noting that Kamal Nath has been a member of the party since the days of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and will never resign. Congress President Jitu Patwari even referred to him as Indira Gandhi's third son. "When Kamal Nath first ran for election, Indira Gandhi claimed that Kamal Nath is her third son.
"Throughout Kamal Nath's 45-year political career, he has worked with us through good and bad times," Patwari stated. Sajjan Singh Verma, Kamal Nath's close colleague and Pradesh Congress Committee president for the previous seven years, has intimated that his boss has been insulted. "In politics, three things work: respect, insult, and self-respect. When these are injured, a person changes his mind... "When a top leader who has done so much for Congress and the country over the last 45 years considers leaving his party, all three factors come into play," he confirmed. Though there is a schism in the Madhya Pradesh Congress, no decision has been made about Kamal Nath's ultimate departure from the party.
According to sources, Kamal Nath has communicated with BJP officials since the Congress high leadership held him accountable for the party's failure in the Madhya Pradesh elections. He was also ousted from his post as president of the Madhya Pradesh Congress and did not become the opposition leader in the state assembly. Kamal Nath was similarly disappointed with Ashok Singh's nomination for the Rajya Sabha.