Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Former chief minister Kamal Nath’s deal with the BJP has fallen through. So he had to step back from switching over to the ruling party.
The terms and conditions, put up by Nath before the BJP leadership for joining the party, were right away turned down. Because the BJP leadership did not consider his demands, the legislators supporting Nath also backpedalled.
According to sources, Nath was holding talks with the senior leaders of the BJP, craving for some assurances from the BJP’s top leadership as Jyotiraditya Scindia did before defecting to the ruling dispensation.
Apart from giving a ticket to Nakul Nath from Chhindwara, the BJP leaders rejected his demands.
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Sources further said that Nath wanted tickets for the Lok Sabha seats for some former ministers and tickets for assembly seats for the legislators with whom he was going to join the BJP.
Nath also wanted assurances on some other issues. Nevertheless, those who were ready to join the BJP with Nath began to dither after the BJP discarded the former chief minister’s demand.
Not only that, just a few legislators reached Delhi on Nath’s request. They were also opposed to contesting an election after quitting the Congress.
Similarly, the former ministers refused to join the BJP; for, they did not get any assurance for tickets for the Lok Sabha election.
On the other hand the state leaders of the BJP were against assembly by-elections. They convinced the senior leaders of the party that Nath’s entry in the BJP would not be of great help.
Against this backdrop, Nath had no other alternative but to stay put with the Congress. The statements of Nath and his close aides in the past two days hinted at Nath’s talks with the BJP. Immediately after the deal failed, Nath said the party high command had prevented from defecting to the BJP. So gave up the idea of quitting his parent party.
Second big blow in political career
Former chief minister Kamal Nath has received the second big jolt in his political career after 27 years. Before this, when he was found involved in Jail Hawala case in 1996, Nath fielded his wife Alka Nath from Chhildwara Lok Sabha constituency.
After he had been acquitted of the case, he asked his wife to resign, and he fought the Lok Sabha by-election from Chhindwara. Although the Congress was ruling the state Nath lost to Sunderlal Patwa. This was his first political defeat.
Nath has crafted a difficulty for himself by creating an atmosphere that he was going to join the BJP. And this is palpable in Chhindwara.
