Haven’t yet decided on contesting MP polls, says Kamal Nath

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath has announced that he is still “undecided” over contesting the year-end assembly elections in the state, taking the party men here by surprise.

His declaration may lead factional leaders such as former chief minister Digvijay Singh and Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia to vie for the leadership of the party in the state, reviving bickering in Congress ahead of assembly elections, due in the state in November-December this year, party men feared. “Mr Nath has spoken his mind that he was still weighting options of taking over leadership in the state. He had till recently given the impression that he was comfortable in the Central politics and was not willing to come to state politics.

His dithering over taking leadership in the state may trigger factionalism in the state with Mr Singh and Mr Scindia already finding themselves in a battle of one-upmanship in the party ahead of year-end polls”, a senior Congress leader here told this newspaper on Sunday requesting not to be quoted. Mr Nath said he was yet to decide whether to contest the parliamentary or the assembly elections in the state in the event of MP going for simultaneous polls. MP may go for simultaneous polls, if thinking in mind of the central leadership of BJP was any indication.