BHOPAL: In a significant political development, former Chief Minister and present state Congress president Kamal Nath has stepped down as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in Madhya Pradesh -- where assembly polls are slated in November 2023.
The Congress national president Sonia Gandhi accepted Nath's resignation from the CLP leader's post, which he had been holding since December 2018, when the Congress under his leadership returned to power after 15 years in the central Indian state.
The party also approved the appointment of another party veteran -- former CM Digvijaya Singh's loyalist and ex-minister Dr Govind Singh -- as the new CLP Leader.
Singh, the seven-time sitting MLA from Lahar seat of Bhind district, has held key portfolios in past Congress governments in the state headed by Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath. He held the crucial parliamentary affairs and cooperatives portfolio in the 15-month regime headed by Nath between December 2018 and March 2020.
A Kshatriya politician, Singh hails from the same Gwalior-Chambal region, which is also the home turf of Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, whose rebellion had led to the collapse of the Nath-led Congress government in March 2020.
After the 2019 Lok Sabha poll drubbing in MP (when the Congress could win only one out of the 29 seats in MP), Scindia supporters had started mounting pressure for then CM Nath to quit from the state party chief post in line with the 'One Man One Post' principle.
Thursday's development came 23 days after a meeting of senior Congress leaders including Digvijaya Singh had unanimously decided to contest the 2023 polls in the state under Nath's leadership.
Speculation was rife since then about Nath willing to quit as CLP leader (leader of Opposition) and focus on preparing the party for the 2023 assembly polls as state party chief.
The party veteran from the Gwalior-Chambal region Dr Govind Singh was since then being seen as a frontrunner for the CLP leader's post.
Over the last few weeks, the ruling BJP has been targeting Nath over his frequent absence from Vidhan Sabha proceedings. Recently, the state's home minister Narottam Mishra had announced bringing a breach of privilege motion against Nath over a viral video in which the ex-CM was seen saying, "This is correct that I've been giving less time for Vidhan Sabha, as I've to meet 200 people daily. Should I listen to BJP's bakwas there (in the Vidhan Sabha) or meet 200 people."
The new CLP leader Dr Govind Singh said the CLP leader/Leader of Opposition's post isn't any feather in the cap for him, as he he has been holding major responsibilities in the past also. "I've been raising people's issues in the Assembly in the past and will continue to do so in future also as CLP leader. He (Nath) hasn't resigned, but has shared his responsibilities with me. I'll work as his associate and question the BJP government over public issues," the new CLP leader said.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP ridiculed the new development in the state Congress. State BJP media convenor Lokendra Parashar tweeted, "Nath's wings have been clipped and Govind Singh's appointment as CLP leader means return of Digvijaya Singh's era in MP Congress. Maybe Nath will quit as state Congress chief tomorrow, handing over the post to tribal strongman Umang Singhar."
State BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal tweeted, questioning a Kshatriya politician's appointment as the CLP leader/Leader of Opposition. "This development has exposed once again that while the Congress does politics in the name of SC, ST and OBC, it doesn't trust them while making appointment to major posts."