The villagers of Bhalpani in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district look to the sky for indicators of their MP Nakul Nath, son of Congress veteran and ex-chief minister Kamal Nath. The whirring of the helicopter broadcasts his arrival as Nakul lands within the sleepy hamlet comprising mud-brick homes.
Dressed casually in a white shirt and denims, Nakul, 49, maintains a stoic manner as he approaches the rostrum, accepting garlands from his supporters however refusing to put on them. He nods silently because the Congress staff whisper updates, betraying some pressure earlier than waving organisers to hasten the continuing.
Nakul appears to be in a rush. He has a lot floor to cowl.
That is going to be Nakul’s hardest election, because the ruling BJP has put its full may to wrest Kamal Nath’s stronghold, weaning away a legion of the Congress leaders and Nath loyalists within the constituency.
Vote share within the Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency
Chhindwara has remained firmly with Kamal Nath, who has gained the seat 9 occasions since 1980. Within the 2019 polls, the BJP bagged 28 seats out of the state’s 29, however missed out on selecting Chhindwara, the place Nakul beat the BJP’s candidate by 37,536 votes to emerge because the lone Congress MP within the state.
This time, the BJP has pitted in opposition to Nakul its district president Vivek Bunty Sahu, who claims to be “Chhindwara’s actual son” and paints Nakul as an “outsider dynast”.
The BJP has claimed to have inducted over 2,000 Congress leaders and staff in Chhindwara, together with Amarwara’s tribal MLA Kamlesh Pratap Shah, mayor Vikram Ahake and a number of other councillors.
On his marketing campaign path, when requested if he was nervous over the exodus of leaders from his camp, Nakul advised The Indian Categorical: “Completely not. The individuals are nonetheless with us. There will likely be no harm due to this. I’ve the total assist of the individuals. This is not going to harm me.”
Nakul arrives at Bhalpani village in his helicopter. The BJP has attacked the Nath household over utilizing air journey claiming they had been wealthy industrialists indifferent from actuality. (Categorical picture)
Nakul had begun his marketing campaign in February as he went across the district with Nath on an “aabhaar yatra”, assembly booth-level social gathering staff, when the father-son duo deliberate their ballot roadmap.
The richest candidate in MP with belongings value about Rs 697 crore, Nakul makes use of a helicopter for campaigning, attending 5-6 rallies every day earlier than retiring to his sprawling bungalow in Shikarpur, the place he meets locals.
At his rallies, his father’s presence is felt. From native tribal songs about Kamal Nath “vanquishing the BJP authorities” and ushering in improvement to Chhindwara, to the district Congress leaders’ speeches, his marketing campaign is centred round his father’s legacy. Kamal Nath’s voice is heard from loudspeakers, saying “I’ve pressed forward in my journey to serve you no matter day or night time, solar or shade. Right now, I’m completely satisfied that Nakul is serving you with the identical vitality.”
A Congress employee says, “Nakul Nath nonetheless has an extended approach to go to get such songs being sung for him.”
Nakul tells The Indian Categorical that he has stepped out of his father’s shadow. “I’ve my very own join with the individuals. My father has a relationship with the individuals. However I’ve been energetic for a number of years now.”
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It’s not simply his father, even his spouse Priya Nath has his again. She has been seen interacting with the locals, harvesting wheat with farmers, and dancing with girls to devotional songs. But it surely was her emotional enchantment following the crossover of her father-in-law’s associates to the BJP, which created ripples. “Wherever I’m going, my sisters inform me didi, by no means be nervous, we’re with you… I’m not nervous however I undoubtedly really feel unhappy for papa Kamal Nath ji, whom they (turncoats) betrayed when the time got here for his agni pareeksha…We really feel unhappy as a result of we had accepted them wholeheartedly as our household.”
Stung by Kamleshwar Shah’s desertion, Nakul referred to as him a “traitor”. When requested if it harm him, Nakul pointed to a crowd of tribal girls ready to take footage with him. “The tribal neighborhood stays with us.”
As Nakul takes the stage at Bhalpani, a neighborhood chief broadcasts that this marks Nakul’s first go to to the village. Nakul rebuts him, saying it was his second go to. The chief caught to his declare and went on to recount Nath’s a number of visits and his effort to arrange 5 anganwadi centres and guarantee water tankers within the space. Nakul listens quietly. When he begins talking, the chief interrupts him, asking him to comply with a set of native calls for. Along with his aides left red-faced, ex-minister Bala Bachan involves his rescue, gently advising the chief to attend for Nakul to complete his speech.
Nakul Nath addressing a gathering at Bhalpani village in Chhindwara. (Categorical picture)
Identified to be an introvert who preserve a low profile, Nakul had drawn criticism from some ex-Nath loyalists over his dealing with of the Chhindwara marketing campaign through the November 2023 Meeting elections. Nath needed to then camp in his house turf for a number of days, at the same time as senior BJP leaders criss-crossed the state. A number of the Congress defectors have additionally flagged their rift with Nakul, claiming that they needed Nath to contest the Lok Sabha election.
“So far as I do know, that is my second go to, but when I’m coming right here for the primary time, I’m very completely satisfied,” Nakul tells the gathering. He says the Congress introduced quota for tribals. “Right now, the BJP needs to remove this proper from our tribal neighborhood, however I wish to guarantee all of you that so long as the Congress is there, koi mai ka lal (nobody) will be capable of snatch away your reservation. Watch in your TV how BJP staff and leaders, from Manipur to Sidhi (in MP), humiliate and oppress the tribals… On polling day on 19 April, it’s important to take revenge for this humiliation,” he says. Tribals account for about 36 per cent of Chhindwara’s inhabitants.
Nakul additionally assaults the BJP over its Meeting ballot guarantees. “The BJP has deceived you. On the Ladli Behna Yojana, what did they are saying? They might begin with Rs 1,000 monthly and take it to Rs 3,000. Consider me, after the Lok Sabha elections, BJP will neglect it ceaselessly. This, I say, is the final quantity, so preserve it secure,” he says.
