After long procrastination, Congress appointed senior Congress MP and former Union Minister Kamal Nath as the PCC Chief of Madhya Pradesh. Congress has been out of power in the states since 2003 onwards. Its biggest problem in the state is a plethora of leaders and dwindling cadre. The senior most leader today is Kamal Nath who joined politics in the 1970s and was a close aide of Sanjay Gandhi.
When contacted, Kamal Nath said,” The challenge is to build the party. The challenge lies in giving a new dimension to the state and tell a new growth story and for this Congress must form the government.”
When asked as to what he intends to do with multiple leaders, Kamal Nath said,” I’m friends with everyone. My relationship with most of the leaders is good and I get along with everyone.”
The fact of the matter is that Congress MP, Jyotiraditya Scindhia was also very keen to become the PCC chief of Madhya Pradesh. There is no doubt that he is a popular young leader but within Congress, no one can match the organizational muscle of Kamal Nath. Congress also faces a fund crunch and understands that Kamal Nath can help organize the elections better.
Even former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh was more disposed towards Kamal Nath. More than that party also did not make him the leader of the Congress Party in Lok Sabha despite his seniority because of caste consideration. There is a very popular saying about Kamal Nath in the Congress, once told to me by a very senior leader. He said,” If Kamal Nath is your friend then he might save you from God once but if he is your enemy then even God may not be able to save you.”
For now, Jyotiraditya Scindhia will have to be content with the position of the head of the Congress Campaign Committee of Madhya Pradesh and Arun Yadav, former union minister will have to wait for his rehabilitation at the Centre who till now was heading the office of PCC.
