Amid swirling speculation regarding his switch to the BJP, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and seasoned Congress leader, Kamal Nath, has called upon the people of the state and party members to join Rahul Gandhi”s ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, aimed at combating injustice and oppression. Nath praised the Congress leader”s fight against injustice, highlighting the enthusiasm among party workers for the yatra.
“The people of Madhya Pradesh and Congress workers are excited to welcome Rahul Gandhi”s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Our leader Shri Rahul Gandhi has taken to the streets across the country and announced a decisive fight against injustice, oppression and exploitation. I urge the people of Madhya Pradesh and the brave workers of Congress to become the strength and courage of Rahul Gandhi by joining the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra in maximum numbers. Together you and I will bring this great campaign against injustice to an end,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Amid the buzz of Kamal Nath switching sides with the BJP, several party leaders from Nath”s stronghold in MP”s Chhindwara district defected to the BJP on Wednesday. Despite these developments, Congress general secretary Jitendra Singh assured earlier this week that both Nath and his son, Nakul Nath, would actively participate in the ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra upon its arrival in the state.
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi, started from Manipur on January 14 and is scheduled to culminate in Mumbai on March 20, marking the second iteration of the Bharat Jodo Yatra initiative.
Reports suggested Nath”s discontent over not securing a Rajya Sabha seat and purported differences with Rahul Gandhi following the party”s defeat in the recent assembly polls. In the aftermath of the BJP”s landslide victory in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh elections, where they secured 163 of the 230 assembly seats, Nath was replaced as the Madhya Pradesh unit chief. Sources close to Nath indicated his dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs within the Congress, underscoring concerns about the party”s departure from its original ethos.
Despite mounting speculation, the Congress vehemently denied reports of Nath”s departure, citing his longstanding association with the party. Notably, references were made to Indira Gandhi”s endorsement of Nath as her “third son” during campaigning in Chhindwara in 1979, emphasizing his deep-rooted ties with the Congress.
However, if Nath were to depart from the Congress, it would mark a significant setback for the party, already grappling with a series of high-profile exits. The 77-year-old has spent most of his life in the Congress and, apart from his stint as the Madhya Pradesh chief minister, has been a Lok Sabha MP for nine terms as well as a Union minister.
With Lok Sabha elections looming, Nath”s potential exit would not only pose a psychological blow but also leave the party vulnerable in Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP has historically maintained a stronghold. The BJP had won 28 out of 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019, and the lone winner from the Congress was Nakul Nath.
