Congress leader Kamal Nath has spoken to Rahul Gandhi on the phone and discussed the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra which will enter Madhya Pradesh soon, and the veteran leader has not made any decision on leaving the party, Sajjan Singh Verma said on Sunday (February 18). The buzz regarding Kamal Nath’s switch to the BJP has been created by the media, the former Madhya Pradesh CM said, according to Verma who met him at his Delhi residence.
Verma said that Kamal Nath is focused on the caste equations in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
What did Sajjan Singh say on after meeting Kamal Nath?
“I had a discussion with him (Kamal Nath). He said that right now his focus is on how the caste equations will be on 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh. He said that he has not thought about anything like that (of leaving the party)..." Verma told the reporters after meeting Kamal Nath.
“I talked to Kamal Nath ji. News about him leaving Congress is made by the media. He said that I told the media that whatever happens will be told to them. All these things have been created by the media. Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is about to enter MP. Kamal Nath ji had talked to Rahul ji regarding the same. I will come again tomorrow to meet Kamal Nath ji,” Verma added.
Reiterating that Kamal Nath shares an old relation with the Gandhi family, Verma said that he spoke to Rahul Gandhi and held discussions with him.
“Kamal Nath has not taken any such decision yet. He has not only political but also family relations with the Gandhi family. He also spoke to Rahul Gandhi on phone, some things were discussed. I have been with Kamal Nath ji for 40 years,” he said.
Madhya Pradesh Congress president reacts to speculations
Reacting to the speculations of Kamal Nath leaving Congress, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari said that he spoke to the veteran party leader who informed him that he would not leave the party "till his last breath".
"The rumours that Kamal Nath going to BJP, this is an example of how media can be misused. This was a conspiracy made against Kamal Nath. I spoke to him and he said that all these things are just rumours, and he is a Congress person and will continue to be a Congress person...he will continue to have Congress ideology till his last breath. This is his own thoughts, he said this," Patwari said.
Digvijaya Singh reacts
Amid the ongoing suspense around senior Congress leader Kamal Nath’s probable switch to the BJP, party colleague Digvijaya Singh on Sunday (February 18) said that the veteran is a “true Congress leader” and would not “yield to the pressure” of the central probe agencies. He said that Kamal Nath began his political journey from the grand old party and would not leave it.
Singh said that he and other Congress leaders were in touch with the former Madhya Pradesh CM.
“We all used to consider Kamal Nath the third son of late prime minister Indira ji (after Sanjay Gandhi and ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi),” the Rajya Sabha member said.
“Kamal Nath ji has always been with the Congress. He is a true Congress leader...He has got all posts, including chief minister, union minister, AICC general secretary and MP Congress chief. Nath's character is such that he won’t yield to the pressure of central agencies ED, I-T or CBI,” Singh added.
Kamal Nath likely to join BJP: Sources
Sources have, however, indicated that Kamal Nath and his MP son Nakul Nath are likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday (February 19).
Singh said that the biggest denial of all such speculations is that Kamal Nath has still not joined the BJP or resigned from the Congress.
Nath, a nine-time MP from Chhindwara and currently MLA from the seat, was removed as the party's state president following the Congress’ dismal performance in the November Assembly polls.
The 77-year-old Congress leader arrived in the national capital on Saturday afternoon. His son and MP Nakul Nath dropped Congress from his bio on social media.
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