Congress leaders agree to disagree on CM face in election-bound MP

BHOPAL: Even before 2023 set in, the hoardings and posters reading ‘Naya Saal Nayi Sarkar’ (New Year New Government) and ‘Bhavi Mukyamantri’ Kamal Nath (Future CM Kamal Nath) were put by opposition Congress workers across Bhopal. However,  just a month later, the consensus seems to be missing in state Congress circles, over posters projecting Nath as the CM of the party in MP, where the next assembly polls are slated towards the end of the year.

The confusion prevailing over the issue was further compounded, when Nath, himself made it clear to journalists in Gwalior on Sunday evening, “I’m not in the quest of any post or becoming the face. I’ve attained plenty in my life, my only aim now is to secure Madhya Pradesh’s future.”

With just around nine months left for the 2023-end polls, a prominent OBC politician of the Congress and ex-union minister Arun Yadav, has questioned the urgency of Nath being projected as the party’s future CM candidate in MP.

“What’s the hurry, let Delhi decide. Traditionally Congress has never projected any CM face anywhere, as the party’s constitution clearly mandates that it will be the newly elected MLAs who will decide their leader. If a face has to be decided, is my face too bad?” questioned Yadav.

Just a few weeks back, Congress’s national in-charge for MP, JP Agrawal, had said that the party was yet to finalize its CM face in the state. As per sources in the state Congress, the opposition of some senior party leaders projecting Nath as the future CM, stems out of growing uneasiness over Nath hegonomizing the state party.