Kamal Nath is likely to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday and may tender his resignation as Madhya Pradesh Congress chief, two days after the party’s debacle in the assembly election, news agency PTI reported citing sources. The report claimed that the Congress leadership is upset over Kamal Nath not meeting party leaders and workers, but meeting chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday, a day after the embarrassing defeat.
The Madhya Pradesh Congress chief is likely to meet party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday and may tender his resignation from the post following the party’s debacle in the assembly elections, the sources said.
The Congress, which had formed te government in the state under the leadership of Kamal Nath after winning 114 seats in the 2018 election, ended up bagging only 66 seats in the Madhya Pradesh assembly election 2023.
The Congress government fell after being reduced to a minority and the Bharatiya Janata Party formed the government in the state, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan returning as chief minister.
In this election, the BJP made a stunning comeback winning 163 seats, getting the two-thirds majority in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly, under the leadership of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the election, which was held in November. The results were declared on December 3.
Nath is likely to meet Kharge on Tuesday and could be asked to resign as Congress state unit chief, the PTI report claimed, adding that the party leadership is also upset over his remarks against many leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and JD(U) boss Nitish Kumar, over seat sharing.
While the Samajwadi Party was asking for only four to six seats, the JD(U) only one seat in Madhya Pradesh, to which Nath did not agree and peeved the leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc, formed to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier on Sunday, addressing a press conference during the final stage of counting, Nath said, “We accept the mandate of Madhya Pradesh’s voters in this democratic contest. We will fulfil the role of the Opposition.”
On the challenges that lie before the Congress as the principal Opposition party in the state, the former chief minister said, “The biggest challenge in front of us today is the future of the youth, unemployment and farm distress. Agriculture forms 70 per cent of our state’s economy. We want to prioritise the strengths of the agriculture sector.”
The Congress leader also congratulated the BJP for their victory in the state on the occasion.
“I congratulate the Bharatiya Janata Party and hope they will fulfil the responsibilities of the people who have given them this mandate,” Nath said.
Madhya Pradesh has been a BJP stronghold for the last 20 years, barring the 15-month tenure of the Kamal Nath-led government when the Congress came to power in 2018.
(With inputs from agencies)
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
