Another jolt for Congress? Are Kamal Nath and his son, Nakul, leaving the party?

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath might give one other jolt to the Congress. Political circles are buzzing with speculations in regards to the exit of him and his son, Nakul Nath, from the celebration. The Grand Outdated Social gathering has already misplaced heavyweights in Maharashtra this yr.

Whereas Nath and his son haven’t formally confirmed the stories, any such potential transfer simply months forward of the Lok Sabha elections shall be a significant setback for the Congress.

However why have rumours in regards to the former CM and his son’s departure from the Congress come up? Let’s take a better look.

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Rumours about Kamal Nath’s defection

Based on Occasions of India (TOI), the rumours about Nath leaving the Grand Outdated Social gathering started three weeks in the past. They just lately picked up tempo following the senior chief’s response about the opportunity of just lately expelled Congress chief Acharya Pramod Krishnam becoming a member of the BJP.

On this, Nath stated on 3 February, “Everyone seems to be impartial. Nobody is tied to any political celebration.”

Three days later, his son and Chhindwara MP, Nakul Nath, declared himself the candidate from the constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Nevertheless, no official announcement has been made by the Congress but.

“This time too, I shall be your candidate for Lok Sabha elections. Rumours are going round whether or not Kamal Nath or Nakul Nath would contest the election, I wish to make it clear that Kamal Nath gained’t contest the election, I’ll,” Nakul Nath reportedly instructed a gathering on 6 February.

Chhindwara has been a stronghold of Kamal Nath for years. Within the 2019 basic elections, whereas the BJP swept 28 out of 29 seats from Madhya Pradesh, Nakul Nath managed to win on a Congress ticket from Chhindwara, famous NDTV.

Earlier this month, a number of leaders near Nath, together with Jabalpur Mayor Jagat Bahadur Singh ‘Annu’, switched to the BJP. On 12 February, former Congress MLA Dinesh Ahirwar and Congress district president from Vidisha, Rakesh Katare, joined the saffron celebration.

The speculations additional intensified after Nakul dropped ‘Congress’ from his bio on social media accounts. This got here a day after Madhya Pradesh BJP chief VD Sharma stated the previous CM and his son are welcome to hitch the saffron camp.

Sharma stated on Friday that the BJP’s doorways are open for senior Congress leaders who’re upset with the celebration for declining the invitation to the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple.

Based on Indian Specific, when requested about Kamal Nath becoming a member of the BJP, Sharma instructed reporters: “If somebody has perception within the BJP management and believes in its insurance policies, for such individuals the doorways are open… We now have opened our doorways to these individuals within the Congress who suppose that their celebration boycotted the Ram Mandir consecration occasion. Ram is in Bharat’s thoughts and Ram resides in its coronary heart. He was insulted by the Congress. If these leaders have ache of their hearts, then they need to be given a possibility. And the identify you’re taking (Nath) if in his coronary heart he has such ache, then I believe he’s welcome.”

Congress dismisses rumours

The Congress has rejected the rumours of Kamal Nath crossing over to the BJP.

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari known as the stories “baseless”. “For the primary time when Kamal Nath fought elections, then Indira Gandhi stated that Kamal Nath is her third son…within the 45 years of Kamal Nath’s political journey, in each our good occasions and dangerous occasions, he has been working with the celebration.

Referring to the then Congress chief Jyotiraditya Scindia’s revolt that toppled Nath’s state authorities in 2020, Patwari stated that on the time “all of the Congress staff stood with Kamal Nath’s management and beliefs”.

“Are you able to think about Indira Gandhi’s third son leaving Congress?” he requested the mediapersons on Saturday. Kamal Nath is among the many final Congress leaders of the Indira Gandhi period.

Earlier within the day, senior Congress chief Digvijaya Singh stated he talked to Nath final evening who was in Chhindwara. “I had a dialog with Kamal Nath ji final evening. He’s in Chhindwara. He’s the one that began his political profession with the Nehru-Gandhi household…You can’t count on that individual to go away Sonia Gandhi and Indira Gandhi’s household…” ANI quoted him as saying.

Will Kamal Nath go away Congress?

Kamal Nath reached Delhi on Saturday amid the speculations. Based on NDTV sources, the previous MP CM will meet the BJP’s prime brass. Nevertheless, it isn’t but identified if he’ll be a part of the saffron celebration after leaving the Congress.

His son, Nakul, is anticipated to hitch the saffron camp and get the BJP’s Lok Sabha ticket from Chhindwara, NDTV reported.

In his transient interplay with reporters after reaching the Nationwide Capital, Kamal Nath stated he would inform the media first if any such factor (his becoming a member of the BJP) occurs.

Earlier this month, the veteran Congress chief had stated addressing the stories, “There are such a lot of rumours occurring, what can I say about them?”.

Different Congress leaders who left just lately

Many high-profile leaders have give up Congress up to now few years. Nath’s exit could be an enormous blow to the celebration because it fights the Lok Sabha elections with a weakened INDIA bloc.

Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan just lately left the Congress to hitch the BJP. He has been nominated by the saffron celebration for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

Baba Siddique exited from the Congress and joined the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Social gathering (NCP).

The Grand Outdated Social gathering noticed one other high-profile exit final month when former Union minister Milind Deora give up the celebration and converted to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. He’s additionally nominated for Rajya Sabha polls.

Final yr, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy joined the BJP after resigning from the Congress.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jitin Prasada, Sushmita Dev, Amarinder Singh, RPN Singh, Kapil Sibal and Sunil Jakhar are another outstanding faces which have left the Congress lately.

With inputs from businesses