Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday said that he wanted to let Prime Minister Narendra Modi know that “no one can put him down in political life”.
Without making a direct reference to the Income Tax raids on his close associates during past three days, Kamal Nath said, “During past three days Modji has been making efforts to see how he (Nath) could be put down and pressurised. But I want to tell Modiji no one can put me down in political life.” Kamal Nath was addressing a post-nomination public meeting in Chhindwara.
Earlier in the morning, Kamal Nath and son Nakul Nath filed nominations together for Chhindwara Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies, creating a sort of electoral history. Chhindwara LS and Assembly constituencies go to poll simultaneously on April 29.
During the public meeting in the afternoon, Kamal Nath said that the entire country was watching what Modi was up to. “Also the people of Chhindwara have seen and recognised in past 40 years what Kamal Nath was all about”.
“People of Chhindwara would never have to hang their head because of me, I can assure them. Go anywhere in the country, hold your head high and thump your chest to say that you belong to Chhindwara,” Nath said, indicating that he was not in the wrong.
The chief minister also called upon the people to continue to give him the love and strength that they have showered on him during past 40 years as an MP. He also described his son Nakul Nath as “people’s son and associate” and said that if he (Nakul) did not work for them after winning, they had the right to tear his (Nakul’s) clothes off.
The senior Nath also made light of his ‘lightweight’ opponent Natthan Shah of the BJP, saying that he knew of only one Shah, that was Amit Shah and this Shah might be the BJP president’s relative.
Among others who spoke, ex-chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s brother-in-law Sanjay Masani who shared dais with the Nath duo and also was present with them in an open vehicle in a rally held prior to the meeting, got the public to chant ‘Jai Jai Kamal Nath’. He raised questions on the performance of 15-year-BJP government (of which Chouhan was CM for 13 years) and called upon people to elect Nath duo for good governance and sustained development of the constituency and state.
Enthusiasm, support
Enthusiasm could be felt on the streets of Chhindwara on the day as Kamal Nath filed nomination for the assembly seat, just 15 minutes ahead of his son Nakul Nath who filed papers for Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat at the district collectorate, creating electoral history.
Kamal Nath and Nakul, accompanied by Nakul’s wife Priya Nath, arrived at the district collectorate together around 11.30 am right after visiting the Shikarpura temple. Both the MP CM and his son were with each other during the nomination filing of each other. Priya Nath accompanied the father-son duo for the nomination filing of Nakul but kept away from Kamal Nath’s paper filing.
This was first instance when a father-son duo together filed nomination from same place— though for Assembly and Lok Sabha polls respectively. The assembly by-polls for Chhindwara seat is being held simultaneous with Lok Sabha polls after the resignation of Congress MLA Deepak Saxena, who veritably vacated the seat so that Kamal Nath could be elected to MP Assembly to continue as the state chief minister.
Kamal Nath who has represented Chhindwara as Member of Parliament (MP) nine times in past 39 years is contesting the assembly polls for the first time. Also his son is contesting the LS polls for first time, in a bid to take the rein from his father.
The support for the Nath family was visible as considerable crowd joined a post-nomination rally and a public meeting later at Pola Ground of the city. Shubham Suryavanshi, a class 12 student and first time voter who was among the crowd, said “We all know what Kamal Nath has done for Chhindwara. No one goes after Narendra Modi here.”
Ratlal Dhurve, sarpanch of Bamni, a village of the outskirts, also joined the rally. “We are supporters of Kamal Nath. He has done a lot for the development of the town.”
Traffic came to a standstill for more than an hour as the rally that started from near Narsinghpur Road temple passed through Chhota Taalaab, Badi Mata Mandir, Gol Ganj and Fawwara Chowk
BJP makes it easy for the family?
The BJP announced its candidates for the Chhindwara LS and Assembly seats on April 6, but political watchers say it is almost like giving the Nath father-son a walkover. The party pitted Natthan Shah—who lost from Junnardeo Assembly segment in 2018 polls—against Nakul Nath, while almost a newcomer, Vikas Bunty Sahu, a young businessman and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, leader has been given ticket against veteran Kamal Nath.