"Lok Sabha polls are going to be held in the next one or one-and-a-half months," he said (File)
After days of suspense over their political plans, Congress MP Nakul Nath on Thursday categorically said that neither he nor his father, Congress veteran Kamal Nath were going to join the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Speculation about the Naths' intentions was intensified in the last few days as several Congress workers from Chhindwara, the Lok Sabha constituency of Nakul Nath, crossed over to the ruling party.
"Lok Sabha polls are going to be held in the next one or one-and-a-half months. A lot of rumours are being spread by BJP people that Kamal Nath and I are going to the BJP. Let me make it clear that neither Kamal Nath nor Nakul Nath are going to join the BJP," the junior Nath said at a public meeting at Navegaon in Chhindwara district.
The BJP had won 28 out of the 29 Lok Sabha Seats in Madhya Pradesh last time while Chhindwara was the only seat retained by the Congress.
The ruling party is trying hard to breach the Kamal Nath bastion this time.
"Since February 1, a total of 5,000 Congress leaders and workers have joined the BJP as they were unhappy with their party's decision to boycott the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony," said the BJP's Chhindwara district unit president Bunty Sahu.
"We have set ourselves the target of inducting 50,000 Congress workers before the elections and finishing off the rival party....Those who are unhappy with the Congress are joining BJP," he told PTI.
Kamal Nath on Wednesday started a public contact programme to drum up support for his son ahead of the general elections. He would not "impose" himself on party workers and would leave if they wanted, he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)