In an interesting political development, Kamal Nath, one of the remaining tallest leaders of the Congress owing allegiance to the Nehru-Gandhi legacy, is all set to join the BJP along with his son Nakul, a sitting Congress MP, in a couple of days. Sources said both Kamal and Nakul have scheduled a meeting with BJP functionaries on Sunday evening as the ruling party leaders are busy in the two-day national convention being held in the national capital.

The grand old party’s latest and biggest jolt in a fortnight comes after the exodus by Ashok Chavan, who joined the BJP, and Milind Deora, who switched sides to Shiv Sena; the duo had also been rewarded with Rajya Sabha berths a day earlier.

Several-time Union Minister, Chief Minister, and holder of prominent party positions since the late 1970s, Kamal will share the saffron cadre with his once-upon-a-time bête noire Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, as the former was responsible for undermining the Maharaja’s foothold in Madhya Pradesh, ultimately leading to the fall of the last Congress-led Kamal Nath Government after Scindia quit the Congress to join the BJP.

On Saturday evening, after the father-son duo reached Delhi, Kamal Nath’s son Nakul Nath dropped the Congress logo from his bio on social media. Nakul’s move has added fuel to rumours of him and his father certainly defecting to the BJP. The bio of Nakul Kamal Nath on X now identifies him only as a Member of Parliament, Chhindwara (MP).

In a brief interaction with the media after arriving in Delhi, Kamal Nath said that if there were any such thing, he would inform the media first. Asked if he is joining the BJP, Kamal Nath said, “If there were any such thing, I would inform you first.” When further pressed by the media if he was not denying a possible switch, he said, “It is not about denying, you are saying this, you people are getting excited. I am not getting excited, this side or that side, but if there were any such thing, I would inform you first.”

Nakul is the MP from Chhindwara, the pocket borough of Kamal Nath, who had represented the constituency nine times in the past. In the 2019 general elections, the BJP won 28 of the 29 Lok Sabha seats, except Chhindwara.

Kamal Nath, the sitting MLA from the Chhindwara seat, was removed as MP Congress chief in the wake of the Congress’ crushing defeat at the hands of the BJP in the last Assembly elections.

He is said to be disgruntled over not getting a Rajya Sabha berth, and also Rahul Gandhi has been opposed to him since the party lost the Assembly elections

late last year.

Though speculation about Kamal Nath’s shift has been going on for the last few days, they got a fresh boost on Friday when Madhya Pradesh BJP president VD Sharma said Nath and his son are welcome in the BJP if they are unhappy with Congress’ decision to boycott the Ram Mandir consecration event held in Ayodhya.

“Kamal Nath and his son are welcome in BJP if they are unhappy with their party’s decision to boycott the Ram Temple inauguration last month and if they want to join the saffron party to serve the country and society under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi,” Sharma told reporters in Bhopal. However, Nath’s colleague in the party and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh rubbished the rumours and dubbed them a “media creation.”

Nath stood behind the Congress like a rock during the bad patch when the government led by him was toppled by Jyotiraditya Scindia after joining the BJP in March 2020. Nath and Digvijay have the best rapport with the Gandhis, and Singh said that Kamal Nath, who started his political innings with the Nehru-Gandhi family, could never leave the party.

“Don’t get into the breaking business. I spoke with Kamal Nathji last night around 10.30 or 11. He is in Chhindwara. The person who started his political innings with the Gandhi and Nehru family....He stood behind the party when the entire Janata Party and the then government was sending (former PM) Indiraji to jail,” Singh told reporters in Jabalpur.

“Can you believe that such a man will leave Congress, Soniaji, and Indiraji’s family? You all should not even think of it,” he added.

An astute politician who had worked with three generations of the Gandhi family, Nath’s relations with Madhya Pradesh date back to 1979 Indira had described him as her “third son.”

In a major blow to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, several leaders switched sides last week. Former MLA Dinesh Ahirwar and Congress District president from Vidisha Rakesh Katare were the latest to join the BJP.

Amid the top leaders who have held positions both in the party as well as in several Congress-led governments includes Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Sushmita Dev, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Amarinder Singh, RPN Singh, Jitin Prasad among others.