BHOPAL: Out of power in Madhya Pradesh since last 15 years, the opposition Congress announced on Monday to constitute Peoples Commission to probe the “rampant corruption,” during the BJP rule, particularly that pertaining to present Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state.
Though the next assembly elections in MP are still at least six months away, the newly appointed MP Congress Committee (MPCC) president Kamal Nath exuded confidence that the party will be back in power in the state with 150-plus seats in the 230-member assembly.
While alleging that corruption has been institutionalized during the present BJP regime in MP, Nath said just wait for seven more months. “Once our government is formed in the state, there will be no end to probes as corruption is rampant in all spheres all across the state, including the massive scam pertaining to projects pertaining to river Narmada. The probe will, however, not be done by probe panels like the ones appointed by present government, but instead Peoples Commission will be constituted to probe the corruption. Such a commission will be first of its kind in the country having representation of individuals from all spheres, including public representatives,” said Nath at a Meet The Press Program in Bhopal.
The former union minister, who is a nine-time Lok Sabha member from Chhindwara seat of Madhya Pradesh said “we’re trying to finalize the party candidates for the assembly polls by September, based on the outcome of internal surveys by multiple sources on winnability of prospective candidates.”
“Winnability will be the sole criterion for giving tickets along with important factors like caste composition on individual seats. But let me make it very clear that because someone won the last assembly polls, doesn’t mean that ticket is guaranteed to that sitting MLA. When I say that winnability of the candidate is the guiding factor for ticket finalization, this also means that there will be no ticket quota for some because they particularly come from a particular group or a related to someone,” maintained Nath while admitting that more than half of the sitting Congress MLAs could be facing anti-incumbency just like most of the ruling BJP MLAs.
While maintaining that the party will take help from all sources to ensure a return to power in MP in 2018, Nath said he discussed about MP with personal friend and political strategist Prashant Kishor on Sunday.
“I talked to PK about MP as I share a personal bonding with him, but this doesn’t mean that the party has forged any pact with him for the MP assembly polls.”
Nath indecisive about contesting MP Assembly polls
The nine-time septuagenarian Chhindwara MP, however, said he hasn’t decided as yet whether he would contest the Vidhan Sabha polls slated for November-December. “I haven’t decided as yet about contesting assembly polls, let’s see what happens. The final call on whether me and Jyotiraditya Scindia will contest the assembly polls or not, will taken by our national president Rahul Gandhi.”
Nath who thrice said “yes yes yes” about Congress winning MP after 15 years, however, remained non committal when asked about whether he’ll be Congress CM candidate in the state or not.
When queried by journalists about the caste to which he belongs, the ex-union minister said “my only identity is that I’m a Hindustani (Indian).”
When asked about CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan having greeted Nath over twitter as a mitra (friend), when the latter became state Congress president recently, the MPCC chief said “I’ve many layak (worthy) friends and some nalayak (unworthy) friends as well.”