Will prefer to contest Assembly by-election from Sausar: Nath

Nath is currently the Lok Sabha member from Chhindwara. After being sworn in as chief minister following last month's Assembly elections, he needs to get elected to the Assembly within six months.

"I would prefer to contest election from Sausar after discussing with local people as I am the voter from that constituency," Nath told reporters here.

Since 1980, he has represented Chhindwara in the Lok Sabha nine times.

He had indicated earlier that he will contest by-election from a constituency in the district where the Congress candidate wins with a maximum number of votes.

The district has seven Assembly segments, of which four are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, making Nath ineligible to contest from them.

He can stand for election from Chhindwara, Sausar and Chourai.

Sausar, where Congress won with the widest margin (20,742) in the district, is where Nath's house is located.

Nath was accorded a grand welcome earlier Sunday on his first visit to his home constituency after being sworn in as chief minister. He will celebrate New Year in Chhindwara.

Talking about the problem of unemployment in the state, Nath said that as in Chhindwara, his government will set up skill development centres by roping in institutions like the NIIT andConfederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Indore and other cities.

To a question, the veteran Congress leader said he doesn't believe in renaming schemes but would rather focus on their proper implementation.

Nath also defended his statement that locals should get preference in employment. The government of every state protects its own people when it comes to jobs and he said nothing wrong, he added.

In a jibe at his predecessor Shivraj Singh Chouhan, whom Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had termed "announcementmaking machine", Nath said people were tired of listening to government's announcements (about new schemes or welfare measures).

"I won't make any announcement. Concerned officials will be given complete details of the work to be done and a timeline," Nath said addressing a rally.

He laid the foundation stone of 22 developmental works and dedicated 14 completed projects in the district.

"Forty years ago, a youth had come to seek blessings and love from you people. Whatever stature and recognition I have achieved is because of you....I will not make announcements, instead I will prefer to work," he said at the rally.

"Soon after becoming chief minister I announced loan waiver for farmers as promised. Temple and mosque will not give us employment," he said, in apparent reference to the Ayodhya dispute.

In a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nath said the PM in his speeches in Madhya Pradesh did not talk about the youth and farmers.

"He should have visited Chhindwara. People have given him a befitting reply by giving all seven seats to the Congress. People here are well aware of your (Modi's) antics.

Make in India came four years back but I opened a maximum number of skill development centres in Chhindwara district 15 years ago," he claimed.