In a rare political instance, unheard of in the recent electoral history of the country, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and his son Nakul Nath, a first-timer, would file nominations at Chhindwara constituency together on April 9.
While Kamal Nath, a veteran Congress leader, would be filing nomination from the Chhindwara assembly constituency to get into the MP house, Nakul would be filing papers from Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency in an attempt to fill in his father’s shoes as a Member of Parliament.
“They would file the nomination together in Chhindwara on April 9 after a road show,” Congress media cell chief Shobha Oza confirmed to THE WEEK.
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Kamal Nath, 73, is the present MP of Chhindwara from where he has been elected nine times consecutively. He was named the chief minister of MP after he orchestrated the assembly polls win for the Congress in December, and will have to get elected to the MP house by June to be able to continue as the CM.
Kamal Nath's close confidante Deepak Saxena vacated the Chhindwara assembly seat to pave way for this last month. Nakul, who is in his early forties, will make his electoral debut right on the Lok Sabha poll arena.
Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh and his son Abhishek were MLA and MP at one time, but they contested polls at different times. This makes the Nath duo filing of nomination a unique electoral instance in the country.
The father-son duo will conduct a road show in Chhindwara—a strong political turf of the family —on April 9, before filing nominations together to highlight their political strength. Their prime opponent, the BJP, is yet to announce candidates against either Kamal Nath or Nakul as yet.
