Days after putting to rest swirling rumours of him joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress stalwart Kamal Nath told party workers in Chhindwara on Wednesday that he would not “impose” himself upon them and was prepared to step aside if that’s what they desired.
Addressing a program at Chand Block in Chaurai Assembly Constituency, Kamal Nath said, “You gave me love and trust for so many years. If you want to bid farewell to Kamal Nath, then it is your choice, I am ready to bid farewell. I don’t want to impose myself, this is a matter of your decision.”
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Kamal Nath’s son Nakul Nath is a Lok Sabha member from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency.
At another program in the Harrai block of the Amarwada assembly, the Congress leader targeted the BJP over Ayodhya Ram Mandir.
“Does the BJP have the lease (patta) of Ram temple? It is not right to do politics in the name of Ram Temple. The Ram temple is built with your (public) money, it is not right to bring Lord Ram into politics,” the Congress leader said.
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Nath also said he worshipped Lord Ram and constructed a big temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman on the land owned by him in Chhindwara.
“We are religious people and keep our culture intact,” he said.
Kamal Nath’s possible switch to the rival BJP intensified last week after his former media advisor and BJP spokesperson Narendra Saluja posted a photo of the former chief minister and his son in Bhopal and captioned it, “Jai Shri Ram.”
The Congress veteran’s visit to New Delhi and his son removing ‘Congress’ from his profile bio on X further fuelled the speculations.
Nath even refused to deny the rumours explicitly and said he would inform the media first if something like that happened.
The veteran leader was replaced as the party’s Madhya Pradesh unit chief following its rout in last year’s assembly polls, in which the BJP retained power, winning 163 seats in the 230-member House. The Congress managed to win just 66 seats.
(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.
