New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday announced the appointment of senior leader Kamal Nath as the state unit chief in Madhya Pradesh, which heads to the polls later this year.
Keeping caste and regional considerations in mind, the appointed four working presidents — Bala Bachchan (ST), veteran Ramniwas Ravat, Surendra Chaudhary (SC) and Malwa MLA Jitu Patwari, who is known to be close to party chief Rahul Gandhi.
CNN-News18 had on April 22 reported on the possibility of nine-time Chhindwara MP Kamal Nath being picked for the role, seemingly settling the three-way contest between Digvijaya Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia.
While Scindia has been accommodated as the chairman of the Campaign Committee, a charge he had also held in 2013 Assembly elections, sources said that the choice of Kamal Nath had Singh’s backing as well.
Singh, upon his return from the 3,300-km Narmada Parikrama, had bowed out of the CM’s race, leaving Scindia and Nath in the fray.
Sources had said that the top leadership was worried whether Scindia could counter Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s ‘son of the soil’ image. While Chouhan is known for his excellent connect with the people, Scindia is seen as a 'raja', owing to his royal heritage.
Kamal Nath, known for his shrewd manoeuvring skills, may come in handy against Chouhan, given his strong connect with the CM’s critics. His negotiating and strategising skills were seen during his tenure as the Parliamentary Affairs Ministers in the UPA era.
Nath's appointment comes days after the BJP named Rakesh Singh, a prominent face from tribal-dominated Mahakaushal region, as its MP unit president. Nath, too, is from Mahakaushal and enjoys sizable clout in the region.
Comments
0 comment