Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who has been away from the politics of the country and Madhya Pradesh for a long time, at his residence in New Delhi on Monday and a host of issues related to the party ahead of the Budhni and Vijaypur assembly bypolls.
Rahul Gandhi had reportedly been upset with Nath after the party's massive defeat in the assembly polls last year. The Congress also fared horribly in the Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh, drawing a blank in the state, with Nath's son Nakul Nath also being defeated by the family bastion of Chhindwara.
'Courtesy call'
According to sources, Rahul Gandhi, who arrived for lunch, held a discussion with Kamal Nath on various issues for two hours. Kamal Nath expressed his gratitude to Rahul Gandhi for this courtesy call.
Posting a picture from the meeting, Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath said on X, "Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi ji met former Chief Minister Kamal Nath ji at his residence and discussed over lunch various issues in the interest of the party."
Kamal Nath could get role in organisation
After Congress's defeat in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, Kamal Nath resigned as the state's Congress chief. Following his son Nakul Nath's loss in the Lok Sabha elections, Kamal Nath distanced himself from the state's political scene.
However, his recent meeting with Rahul Gandhi has sparked speculation that Kamal Nath could once again be assigned a significant role within the party. Sources suggest that Rahul Gandhi, keen on reviving Congress after its loss in Haryana, is focusing on rebuilding the organisation. This involves efforts to bring back veteran leaders like Kamal Nath and reconcile with party stalwarts who may have been sidelined.
The internal discontent in Congress has been evident in recent years. Jyotiraditya Scindia, frustrated with the leadership of Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh, defected to the BJP. In Rajasthan, the ongoing rift between Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot remained unresolved by Rahul Gandhi’s team, and the power struggle between Bhupesh Baghel and TS Singh Deo in Chhattisgarh further weakened the party. Ghulam Nabi Azad, disillusioned with Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, even went on to form his own party.
The meeting came on a day Assembly polls were announced for Maharashtra, Jharkhand and by-polls. The byelections to Budhni, earlier represented by BJP veteran and Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Vijaypur, will be held on November 13 and votes will be counted on November 23.
BJP on Rahul-Kamal Nath meeting
On this meeting of Rahul Gandhi with Kamal Nath, BJP's state spokesperson Durgesh Keshwani said, "Rahul Gandhi has understood that Congress is coming to an end. The young lions on whom he had placed their bets have ruined the condition of Congress in many states. Because of this, he once again trusts Kamal Nath, who has been called the guru of management. Due to his financial strength, he is confident that Kamal Nath will at least be able to bear the expenses of running the state office of Congress which has been finished in the states."
Also Read: UP Assembly bypolls: 9 seats to vote on November 13, results on November 23
