Question mark over LS tickets for Kamal, Digvijaya after crushing MP defeat

BHOPAL: After the crushing defeat of Congress in Madhya Pradesh Assembly election in November last year gave a rise to speculations about political future of its two former Chief Ministers, Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh, the possibility of their candidature for the forthcoming Lok Sabha election has became part of discussion in the state’s political gallery.

Both these veteran Congress leaders, who have a strong base in state’s politics of over 40 years, have failed to fulfill the task assigned, which has already made the party’s top brass handover the state’s leadership into a young face - Jitu Patwari.

The upcoming Lok Sabha election will obviously be the first test of the new MPCC president Patwari’s leadership. It will also be crucial to see if Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh, who are above 75 of their age, contest the election or not.

At present, Kamal Nath is a member of the legislative assembly from his bastion Chhindwara, while Digvijaya Singh is a Rajya Sabha MP and his tenure will be completed in 2026. Sources in the Congress told IANS that there are very rare chances that the party will give another tenure to him for Rajya Sabha, and therefore, he is more likely to contest the Lok Sabha election for political survival.

While Digvijaya Singh, who had lost the Lok Sabha election against sitting BJP MP Pragya Thakur from Bhopal in 2019, has recently said that he won’t contest the upcoming general election, his veteran colleague Kamal Nath left political watchers guessing his next move.

Recently, a meeting between new Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Kamal Nath at the latter's residence in Bhopal that lasted more than one hour, fueled speculation if Kamal Nath’s son and Chhindwara MP Nakul Nath was exploring his political options beyond Congress. However, a week after that meeting, Nakul Nath sent his donation of Rs 1.38 lakh to Congress, apparently ending the speculation.

Queried on whether he would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Kamal Nath on Saturday said that all decisions on candidates will be taken by the party. Candidates will be decided on the basis of their prospects of winning. He has represented Chhindwara in Lok Sabha nine times. However, when asked about the likelihood of his Congress colleagues like Acharya Pramod Krishnam joining the BJP, he said: “All are free, not bound to be associated with any party.”

However, both these veterans have been touring extensively in their respective home turfs. Digvijaya Singh, who represented Rajgarh Lok Sabha constituency from 1984 to 1989 and then again from 1991 to 1993 until he was elected Chief Minister, has been touring and holding meetings with party workers extensively in Rajgarh district for the past fortnight. Kamal Nath also has been touring Chhindwara regularly.

Meanwhile, all seems not well between the supporters of these two veteran Congress leaders. Recently, two party leaders, who are said to be close to Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath, were indulged in a clash at a party headquarters. Sources told IANS that clashes broke out over accusation of the party's loss in the assembly election, which has prompted the party’s new state head Jitu Patwari to seek their explanations.

Digvijaya Singh also faced wrath from younger brother and former Congress MLA Laxman Singh, who recently has alleged that his elder brother has been surrounded by some ‘dalals’. Laxman Singh lost the last assembly election from Chachora assembly seat and since then, he has been vocal against the Congress leadership.