With many of his close associates leaving his side, it is virtually a lone battle for Congress stalwart Kamal Nath to help his parliamentarian son Nakul Nath win from Chhindwara for a second time amid the Bharatiya Janata Party's aggressive push to wrest the seat.
Political circles were abuzz on Saturday amid speculation that former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath may join the Bhartiya Janata Party.
The BJP has demanded the death penalty for former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The party's leaders have called for the CBI to appeal the verdict, saying it was not an ordinary murder case but a genocide. The BJP has also said that the "wheels of justice" are starting to turn and that other Congress leaders involved in the riots will soon face consequences.
Verma said Kamal Nath and his son Nakul Nath are both 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 Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh as the Congress candidate.
Earlier this month, there were speculations that Nath might switch over to the BJP, but he refuted such reports as "creation of media."
Asked if he is joining the BJP, Nath said, "If there would be any such thing, I would inform you first."
Nakul Nath's move has added fuel to rumours swirling for the last few days that he, along with his father, are defecting to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Notably, Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya recently said the BJP does not need Kamal Nath and its doors are closed for him.
Congress general secretary Bhanwar Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said there is no truth in the speculation of senior party leader Kamal Nath joining the Bharatiya Janata Party and claimed such talks were a creation of the media and the saffron party.
Asked why Nath was not himself putting forth his side, Patwari said that the MP chief minister would speak at the right time. "What I said was on his behalf," he claimed.
Welcoming them into the BJP fold, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav cryptically said many people are feeling anxious and they will eventually join the saffron party in the coming days.
Days after his Delhi visit led to speculation about plans to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress veteran Kamal Nath on Friday took to social media to drum up support for 'our leader' Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra which will enter Madhya Pradesh next month.
Three of these MLAs are from Chhindwara, while another three from the region are set to leave for Delhi, sources close to the veteran leader said.
The toll in the case reached nine in Madhya Pradesh while media reports said of two infants died in Rajasthan.
The development comes days after the party's humiliating defeat in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, where the Congress, led by Nath, failed to replace the BJP government.
The Congress' strength in the 230-member MP assembly came down to 65 after Shah's exit.
Kamal Nath held the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat as many as nine times and it continues to remain with the family as his son Nakul Nath is currently an MP from there.
The Congress leadership is upset over Nath's remarks against many leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Janata Dal-United supremo Nitish Kumar, over seat sharing.
In the video, Nath was talking to Raghuvanshi's supporters when he made the remarks about former CM Digvijaya Singh and his son.
A row erupted over the presence of Congress leader Kamal Nath at a Sikh religious event in Indore where kirtan singer Manpreet Singh Kanpuri apparently referred to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots after Nath left the venue and slammed organisers.
Senior Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Kamal Nath on Tuesday asked whether it is needed to say separately that India is a 'Hindu Rashtra' given the fact that 82 per cent of Hindus live in the country.
The Congress high command has called senior leader Kamal Nath to Delhi and he is likely to meet party chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday, sources said.
While the party announced 144 party candidates for Madhya Pradesh elections, it announced 30 candidates for the Chhattisgarh polls and another 55 for Telangana assembly polls slated next month.
The former Madhya Pradesh CM was addressing a public rally in Niwari, where he said "acha hisab liya jaaega" within eight months as elections are approaching.
It is clear that Kamal Nath is gearing up for the 2023 assembly polls, reports Sandeep Kumar.
The letter claimed that the contractors in the state are being asked to pay 50 percent commission.
Kamal Nath had expressed regret over it and asserted that he did not say anything disrespectful.
BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Monday held a protest against Kamal Nath, while the National Commission for Women sought an explanation from the Congress leader for his 'item' jibe against state minister Imarti Devi.
Out of the candidates announced so far, 65 are below the age of 50 years and 19 are women, he said.
Nitin Bhatnagar, a Maltese citizen and a former relationship manager of the Bank of Singapore, was taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on Tuesday.
"One cannot treat women with disrespect. Kamalnath ji is from my party. But I don't like personally that type of language that Kamalnath ji has used. I do not appreciate it. It is unfortunate", Gandhi, on a three day visit to Kerala, told reporters.
The party also announced that Kamal Nath will contest the bypoll for the Chhindwara assembly constituency.
The discussion will prove Gandhi has more knowledge about religion and spirituality than these persons, Kamal Nath said.
"I don't need any certificate from Kamal Nath nor Digvijaya Singh. The facts are before the people how they looted the state in 15 months. They have taken everything for themselves. They (people) have also seen their history of going back on promises. But I would only like to tell them 'tiger abhi zinda hai (tiger is alive)," Scindia said.
He claimed the word item is used in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, but the Bharatiya Janata Party tried to "mislead" by making it an issue to divert peoples attention while sensing defeat in the November 3 state bypolls.
On Thursday, Scindia told the guest teachers in the state, stating that he would be their 'shield and sword' if all promises in the party's manifesto were not fulfilled.
Nath's fitness challenge comes in the wake of Chouhan, 62, repeatedly targetting him over his age and health, saying that he was resting in Delhi.
Union Commerce and Industries Minister Kamal Nath on Friday said he disagreed with the finance ministry on the controversial fringe benefit tax, saying the tax laws should be made simpler.
Nath has been reprimanded for repeated violations of the model code while campaigning for the bypolls in 28 assembly constituencies in the state.
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