NEW DELHI: “There is no question of him leaving the party!” This was the first response of
Congress
leader
Digvijaya Singh
when asked about
rumours
of
Kamal Nath
quitting the grand old
party
.
Yet, there is a strong buzz in political circles that the last of the Congress leaders from Indira Gandhi-era may switch over to BJP.
Congress leaders have so far dismissed the idea of Kamal Nath’s exit as incredulous, given the long history he has had with the grand old party.
Earlier today, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari recalled how former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi described Kamal Nath as her “third son”.
“Can you dream of the third son of Indiraji (Gandhi) joining the BJP? ” Patwari told reporters.
Similarly, Digvijaya Singh too rubbished the rumours and called them “media’s creation”.
Nath’s colleague in the party and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh also rubbished the rumours and dubbed them a “media creation”.
Digvijaya said that Kamal Nath, who started his political career with the Nehru-Gandhi family, could never leave the party.
“Don’t get into the breaking business. I spoke with Kamal Nathji last night around 10.30 or 11. He is in Chhindwara. The person who started his political innings with the Gandhi and Nehru family….He stood behind the party when the entire Janata Party and the then government was sending (former PM) Indiraji to jail,” he told reporters in Jabalpur.
“Can you believe that such a man will leave Congress, Soniaji and Indiraji family? You all should not even think of it,” he added.
Kamal Nath joined Congress in the 1970s and was first elected to Lok Sabha from his stronghold Chhindwara in 1980. He went on to win the constituency as many as nine times.
Nath shared close ties with the Nehru–Gandhi family and was friends and schoolmates with Sanjay Gandhi at the Doon School in Dehradun.
Meanwhile, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, who arrived in Delhi earlier today, has stopped short of openly denying the rumours, saying that if there would be any such thing, he would inform the media first.
His son and Chhindwara MP, Nakul Nath, has dropped Congress from his bio on social media, in a strong hint about the father-son duo’s next move.
An astute politician with ties to three generations of the Gandhi family, Nath’s connection to Madhya Pradesh traces back to 1979, when the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi referred to him as her “third son.”