Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath reportedly removed a saffron flag from his home amid speculation in political circles that he would leave the Congress to join the BJP.
According to a report, the flag was found on the roof of Nath’s Delhi home yesterday.The situation erupted on Saturday with Kamal Nath’s arrival in Delhi, and his son, Madhya Pradesh’s only Congress MP, allegedly removed the party name from his social media bio. There were rumours that Nath might meet with the BJP leadership in Delhi. Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Jitu Patwari denied rumours that Kamal Nath was considering switching to the BJP, saying that the senior Congress figure assured him that he had no plans to leave.
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Kamal Nath’s Switch rumours
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath denied speaking with anyone on Sunday, despite speculation that he may join the BJP.
When a reporter asked if he was denying a possible switch, Kamal Nath responded that it is not about denying; people are saying it and becoming excited. He is not excited on either side, but if there is anything, he will notify the people first.
Digvijaya Singh, Kamal Nath’s Congress colleague and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, also dismissed the rumours as a “media creation”. He claimed Kamal Nath had begun his political career with the Nehru-Gandhi family and would never leave the party. Kamal Nath
is said to be upset about not receiving a Rajya Sabha seat, and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is said to be upset with him after the party lost the assembly elections late last year. The veteran leader was replaced as the party’s Madhya Pradesh unit chief after the party’s defeat in last year’s assembly elections, in which the BJP retained power with 163 seats in the 230-member House. The Congress only managed to win 66 seats.
What really happened?
Kamal Nath has been in the political spotlight in recent days, with rumours swirling about his decision to join the BJP. Amidst the chaos surrounding his decision, a “Jai Shri Ram” flag is missing from the top of his Delhi residence. Political observers interpret it as a signal that Madhya Pradesh’s former Chief Minister is reconsidering his decision to join the BJP.
In recent years, Kamal Nath has taken a ‘Hindu’ turn in his politics, expressing his views on religion even at the expense of his party line. He welcomed the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and donated silver bricks to the project. The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister also disagreed with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary’s decision not to attend the Ram Temple’s ‘pran-pratishtha’ ceremony.
The Political Turmoil
On February 17, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and Congress heavyweight Kamal Nath and his son Nakul, a sitting Lok Sabha MP from Chhindwara, cancelled all political engagements and flew to New Delhi. The trip coincided with two political developments: the BJP’s
national executive meeting in the national capital, and some Congress leaders close to Nath joining the BJP in Madhya Pradesh.
Nath’s arrival in New Delhi amid all of this sparked speculation in the media that he was planning to jump ship. Nath’s decision to join the BJP remains speculative as of the time of writing, despite his camp making all the right noises about him remaining with the Congress.
Nath remained PCC president and led the party through its shocking defeat in the Madhya Pradesh assembly election to the BJP last year. He resigned as PCC chief and was succeeded by Jitu Patwari, while tribal leader Umang Singhar was appointed Leader of the Opposition in the legislative assembly. With this, the Congress was perceived to have effected a generational shift in the state.
