Chhindwara: Veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath on Friday accused the ruling BJP of not doing anything for Chhindwara district despite being in power in Madhya Pradesh for 20 years and sought to take credit for his home turf's development. The former chief minister maintained the BJP talks big on development, but it is he who, as a public representative from his home district, has been getting works of local residents done.
"The BJP talks big (on development). It has been in power for 20 years (in MP), but it has not done anything (for the district). Whoever forms the government, we will do works of the people. The work of Chhindwara will not stop as I am the one who is doing your works," Nath said. The Congress stalwart was addressing a rally in the Parasia area of Chhindwara district, where voting in the Lok Sabha polls will take place in the first phase on April 19.
"I am hopeful of getting your love and trust till the end and I will tell you only one thing -- you should stand with the truth," an emotional Nath told the gathering. The BJP has been in power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003 barring a 15-month period (December 2018-March 2020) when the Congress under Nath's leadership ruled the state.
Nath, whose son Nakul is seeking re-election from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat, said he is giving guarantee that works of the people of the district will never stop. The nine-time former Lok Sabha MP and sitting MLA from Chhindwara asserted he has done everything possible to ensure development of the district in the last 44 years.
As a result, Chhindwara today enjoys a distinct identity in the country, noted the former Union minister. The Congress has fielded Nath's son Nakul from the family's traditional Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat for a second term. He is pitted against BJP district unit president Vivek Bunty Sahu. Nakul Nath had defeated BJP candidate Nathan Shah in Chhindwara in 2019 by a margin of more than 37,000 votes and he was the sole Congress winner in the state, which has 29 Lok Sabha seats.
Chhindwara has been a stronghold of the Congress for decades. The grand old party has lost Lok Sabha elections from this constituency just once. Kamal Nath has represented this seat in the Lok Sabha for a record nine terms.
