Nath’s nomination turns into a battle between a `Corporate’ and ‘Kisan’, says Jha

BHOPAL: Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Prabhat Jha said that with the appointment of Kamal Nath as the Madhya Pradesh Congress unit president, it came clear that the fight for Mission 2018 will be between a `Corporate' and a `Kisan'.


"There is a declared war between a `Corporate' and a `Kisan' where Nath is a businessman and Shivraj

Singh

is a farmer. The public will now choose the right person close to them", Jha told TOI on the announcement of Nath's name as PCC chief.

Jha also took a jibe at the appointment of four `working presidents’ in the state Congress but said that name of Kamal Nath emerged at times when Congress Lok Sabha member from Guna, Jyotiraditya

Scindia

was demanding to declare him as the chief ministerial candidate for 2018 assembly polls. He said Congress leaders were aware that Scindia could not run the party in the state.

"Congress chose Nath's 37-year experience over Scindia's `Maharaja clout'. The party is well aware that politics in the state could never be managed from the `Mahal' (Scindia’s fort)", reacted Jha.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and newly appointed BJP state president Rakesh Singh also congratulated senior Congress leader Kamal Nath for becoming party's state chief.

"I congratulate friend Kamal Nath for becoming the president of MP Congress", tweeted Chouhan after the official announcement by the main Opposition party. The chief minister though, did not react on the appointment of Scindia, who has been assigned the charge of chairman, Congress campaign committee.

Congratulating Kamal Nath, Rakesh Singh conveyed his greetings but, said that BJP was in no way affected by any such appointments. ``The workers are unhindered and working for the development of the state. Appointment in Congress would in no way distract them from their aim to win the assembly polls again in the state", Singh told reporters in Jabalpur.

On reaction within the Congress that appointment of Nath and Scindia will balance the faction-ridden party in a major way as among all the top Congress leaders of the state, BJP leaders said that Nath's appointment has again exposed `politics of divided satraps’ in the Congress.

"There was a huge publicity campaign before Nath's appointment while, the outgoing Congress president Arun Yadav had denied any such move. Now, after official announcement, the Congress has turned a divided house with other factions led by Congress stalwarts in Malwa, West Nimar, Bundelkhand and Chambal engaging in squabble', said BJP state spokesperson, Rajnish Agrawal.

Sources said with assembly polls in mind, the appointment of state chief from Mahakaushal and election campaign in-charge from Gwalior-Chambal region in both BJP and Congress has turned the 2018 elections into a fierce battle for gaining power.