Kamal Nath likely to resign as MP Congress chief: Report
Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath is likely to meet party chief Mallikarjun Kharge soon and tender his resignation from the post, reports said on Tuesday. This comes after the Congress's defeat in the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections with 163 seats, while the Congress was restricted to 66. Reportedly, Nath was supposed to attend the now-postponed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) meeting on Wednesday, but he might now meet Kharge separately.
Why does this story matter?
Madhya Pradesh has been the BJP's stronghold for over two decades, barring the brief 15-month tenure of the Nath government after the Congress's 2018 victory. With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections approaching, Congress's recent poll debacle in MP—besides Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh—raises serious concerns about its state-level leadership and election strategies. Following the latest loss, Nath has admitted that they could not connect with voters in the state. He added that the party will discuss and analyze its flaws.
Nath calls meeting to review election defeat factors
Soon after the election loss in Madhya Pradesh, Nath reportedly spoke with Rahul Gandhi and also called for a meeting with all party candidates to discuss the factors contributing to their defeat. Separately, the Congress leadership is also reportedly displeased with his previous comments against several INDIA bloc leaders. He made these remarks against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar regarding seat sharing in the state.
Congress leadership upset with Nath's actions
Moreover, Congress leaders are reportedly unhappy with Nath for not meeting with party members and workers first but instead meeting Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday. However, this discontent initially stemmed from Nath's disagreement over seat-sharing demands from the Samajwadi Party and the JD(U), both part of the opposition bloc formed to challenge the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While Yadav's party requested four to six seats, the JD(U) sought only one seat, per reports.
Nath's social media post on electoral defeat
Congress President Kharge on electoral defeat
Meanwhile, Congress President Kharge has said that the defeat in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan was just a "temporary setback" and expressed confidence that the party would "overcome" it. "We will overcome temporary setbacks and prepare ourselves fully for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections along with the [INDIA] parties," he added. However, Bihar CM Kumar has blamed the Congress for the INDIA bloc allegedly losing its momentum in the country.
