Kamal Nath hints at Congress shuffle in MP

Bhopal: Former Union minister Kamal Nath has dropped hints on change of leadership of Madhya Pradesh Congress triggering speculations that he may be given the mantle of the party in the state ahead of year-end assembly elections. Mr Nath, who incidentally has thrown his hat into the chief ministerial ring after AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh openly backed him to lead the party in the upcoming assembly elections in the state, due in November this year, told reporters in Indore in MP on Sunday that "Move is underway to restructure the party in the state by changing its leadership".

"You won't have to wait for long (to know about change of leadership)", he said while refusing to elaborate further. He also apparently preferred to keep the issue as to whether Congress would project a chief ministerial candidate in the state, open, saying, "There is no need to declare chief ministerial nominee. The party will declare its face, only if needed". Speculations on Mr Nath taking party leadership in the state ahead of the forthcoming assembly elections have intensified after former chief minister Mr Digvijay Singh threw his weight behind him to project him as chief ministerial candidate after he (Mr Singh) ended his six-month-long Narmada Parikrama (circumambulation), a spiritual journey around the sacred river Narmada, on April nine. "New leadership of party ( in the state) will be announced in a day or two", Congress spokesman Mayank Chaturvedy told reporters.

As per speculations, Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, who was in the race for CM candidate, may be made the campaign committee chairman of the party in the ensuing year-end elections while Mr Digvijay Singh may be made coordinators to oversee poll campaign.