Congress veteran Kamal Nath reaches Delhi amid speculation of switching to BJP

NEW DELHI, BHOPAL:  The arrival of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and his MP son Nakul Nath at the Delhi airport on Saturday has fuelled speculation that the veteran Congress leader could switch sides to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Earlier, a post of a former Congress leader and BJP state spokesperson Narendra Saluja on X, ahead of Nath’s arrival in Delhi, has given rise to the speculation. Saluja on Saturday posted a picture of Kamal Nath with Nakul Nath and captioned it ‘Jai Shree Ram’.

#WATCH | On being asked if he is joining BJP, former Madhya Pradesh CM and Congress leader Kamal Nath says "Why are you all getting excited? It is not about denying. I will inform you all if there is something like that…" pic.twitter.com/GK9uNIQVAL

— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2024

Besides, several new reports state that Chhindwara MP Nakul Nath has removed ‘Congress’ from his bio on social media accounts. Nonetheless, there is no official confirmation about the removal. It is claimed that he never mentioned Congress in his bio on social media.

Meanwhile, veteran Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh sought to play down the reports saying that he had spoken to Nath on Friday night and he was in Chhindwara.

#WATCH | Former Madhya Pradesh CM and Congress leader Kamal Nath arrives at Delhi airport. pic.twitter.com/jbN8huFp4o

— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2024

“Kamal Nath is in Chhindwara…I had a conversation with Kamal Nath last night. He is in Chhindwara. The person who started his political career with the Nehru-Gandhi family and stood together when the entire Janata Party and the then central government were sending Indira Gandhi to jail. How can you expect that person (Kamal Nath) to leave Sonia Gandhi and Indira Gandhi’s families? You should not expect it”, Singh told reporters.

AICC in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Jitendra Singh also said that he did not think that Nath would leave the Congress party and would be joining any other party. “The way he (Nath) has worked in the organisation since the time of Sanjay Gandhi (son of Indira Gandhi) till now and the way he has a long relationship with the Congress, I do not think that he will leave the Congress and join any other party”, Jitendra Singh said.

Earlier, on Friday while addressing a press conference in Bhopal, BJP state president VD Sharma also reacted over speculation and said that they kept their doors open. Sharma said, “So today I am telling you the environment, we have kept our doors open because there are people in Congress who feel that Congress boycotts Lord Ram, India has Ram in its heart. When Congress insults him, then there are people who are pained by this, who are upset, and they should get a chance.”

“If those whose names you are taking have pain in their hearts, then they are also welcome”, Sharma told reporters. (ANI)