Bhopal, (Samajweekly) Talks of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath’s entry at the national level and entrusting him with a major responsibility by the party has left Congress leaders in the state in a tizzy. The state Congress leaders fear that Nath’s foray into national politics will lead to re-emergence of factionalism within the party in the state.
The political developments taking place in the Congress inner circles for the past one month have indicated that Kamal Nath’s political presence is being felt at the national level. This is because he is a leader considered close to the Gandhi family and has no affiliation with any faction within the party. This is the reason why the party high command has taken his help whether it is resolving the political crisis in Rajasthan or Punjab.
Kamal Nath’s influence is growing in Delhi and he has met the party’s Interim President Sonia Gandhi as well as party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Speculation is rife that in the coming days Kamal Nath can be entrusted with a major responsibility by the party at the national level. It is being speculated that he can even be appointed the party’s working president.
The ongoing discussion about Kamal Nath’s entry into national politics has left the Congress leaders in the state worried. Former cabinet minister Sajjan Singh Verma has expressed concern about a possible split in the party, if this happens. He says, “Kamal Nath is such a leader who has been successful in keeping every Congressman united, so the state needs him the most. Even if he enters national politics, he should remain active in the politics of Madhya Pradesh, this is our demand from the party high command.”
Echoing similar views of the state party leaders, even other Congress leaders completely agree to this. The Congress leaders say that when Kamal Nath took over charge as party state president, there were several factions in the state. Gradually factionalism ended and today the entire Congress is united. If Kamal Nath leaves Madhya Pradesh, the party is likely to split into factions and will not be able to come back to power during the 2023 state Assembly election.
Political analyst Saji Thomas says, “The Congress appears to be united after quite a long time. The main reason for it is that there no longer exist factions within the party. The primary reason for this is Kamal Nath’s political experience and his seniority. In such circumstances, if Kamal Nath forays into national politics, there will be a possibility of disintegration within the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, so it is natural for Congress leaders to be worried. Congress was once synonymous with factions within the party which no longer exists now. If Kamal Nath enters national politics, Congress will have to face tough challenges in the state.”
