BJP leadership rejected his terms for joining excepting giving seat to his son
By L S Herdenia
Mystery surrounds the moves of the Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Kamal Nath on whether he wanted to say good-bye to the Congress, breaking his decades old ties with the grand old party. From the beginning rumour about his moves started, leaders of the state Congress were asserting that he is not leaving the party. All the while Kamal Nath himself kept his mouth shut merely telling media that whatever decision he will take he will tell the media.
Most of the state Congress leaders used to say being the ‘third son' of Indiraji how he can leave the Congress. Digvijaya Singh, lifelong friend of Kamal Nath also made such a claim. Digvijaya Singh alleged that Kamal Nath is under pressure from various investigative agencies. While state Congress leaders were saying that he is not leaving, leaders of state BJP were openly saying that under no circumstances they will allow Kamal Nath's entry in the BJP. Kailash Vijayvargiya, former BJP national general secretary publicly opposed Nath's entry.
There is another story about him not getting entry in the BJP. According to this story, the terms and conditions put up by Nath before the BJP leadership for joining the party were right away turned down. Because the BJP leadership did not consider his demands acceptable, the legislators supporting Nath also backpedalled.
According to sources, Nath was holding talks with the senior leaders of the BJP, craving from some assurances from the BJP's top leadership as Jyotiraditya Scindia did before defecting to the ruling dispensation.
Apart from giving a ticket to Nakul Nath from Chhindwara, the BJP leaders rejected his demands. Nath also wanted assurances on some other issues. Never the less, those who were ready to join the BJP with Nath began to dither after the BJP discarded the former chief minister's demand.
Not only that, just a few legislators reached Delhi on Nath's request. They were also opposed to contesting an election after quitting the Congress. Similarly, the former ministers refused to join the BJP, for they did not get any assurance for tickets for the Lok Sabha elections.
Was Kamal Nath angry with the leadership of the Congress? According to the people he spoke to, Nath is said to be miffed with what he claims cold shouldering by Rahul Gandhi after the election debacle. He has also claimed that Rahul did not agree to a group photograph with party MLAs after the elections, which embarrassed him. However, Nath was in deep discussion with the Gandhi scion during the recent election for candidate for Rajya Sabha election in MP, which led to the nomination of Ashok Singh.
MP Congress leaders are going out of their way to persuade him to stay back. Meanwhile, BJP sources told reporters that the issue of inducting Nath has not been discussed at the highest level yet. Nath too has told people privately that he has not been able to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah because they have been busy with the BJP convention in the capital.
There are also speculations that if Nath does not join BJP, he may push his son and Chhindwara MP Nakul Nath in the saffron party. Any such outcome too would not be a happy situation for Congress since Nath has influence in his traditional seat and his support would be required for contesting the constituency in the upcoming LS polls. Chhindwara was the only seat in MP that Congress won in 2019 elections.
Nath's departure would hurt Congress perceptionally coming as it will in the wake of the exit of former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan. A senior Congress leader said that after Congress' debacle in MP assembly polls, Kamal Nath was pained when a party national spokesman, while talking to the media, accused the former CM of being hand in glove with the BJP.
Though a show cause notice was served to the national general secretary no action was taken against him. Nath was also not sent to the Rajya Sabha while the party removed him from the post of state Congress President and appointed a much junior two times MLA as PCC chief.
There is another factor which prevented his entry. The factor is Sikh lobby which blames Kamal Nath for Sikh genocide in 1984. (IPA Service)
