Watch: Rahul Gandhi Offers Prayers At Mahakaleshwar Temple In Ujjain

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday visited and offered prayers at the Mahakaleshwar Temple.

This marks Mr Gandhi's second visit to the temple during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, with the last one taking place on November 29, 2022.

Notably, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Madhya Pradesh on March 2 and will stay in the state till March 6. The Congress's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', after the party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', aims to cover 6,700 km through 15 states, with Lok Sabha polls around the corner.

This visit comes at a time when the Congress party, under the leadership of Kamal Nath, is gearing up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has said that the party will win at least 12-13 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections out of 29 parliamentary constituencies in the state.

"I think we will win at least 12-13 seats in the state. I have spoken to people at many places. I have campaigned at various places in the state and will do so now too. Every political party creates an atmosphere but the BJP is expert in creating it," Kamal Nath told reporters here.

State Congress chief Jitu Patwari, who addressed a press conference on Tuesday with party general secretary Jairam Ramesh in Shajapur as part of Bharat Jodo Yatra, however, said the party will win over 15 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

He said the Congress was ahead in nine Lok Sabha seats based on the outcome of assembly polls held late last year.

"Congress is in the role of a strong opposition in the state. If we talk about Lok Sabha elections, there are nine such Lok Sabha constituencies in the state where if we compare the result of the last state assembly polls, we are ahead...we will win over 15 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and we will honestly play the role of opposition in the state," Jitu Patwari said.

Kamal Nath told the media during his interaction that the biggest challenge before the state is unemployment and youth are looking for employment opportunities.

Referring to the Regional Industry Conclave held recently, he said former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had also organised investment summits.

"The question is not about investment, the question is how much employment is generated in whatever investment comes. Economic activity is linked with employment. So today the question is how to increase economic activity," he said.

Kamal Nath said if farmer has money in his pocket, economic activity picks up in villages and noted that he had "waived off loan of 27 lakh farmers" during his tenure as Chief Minister.

"This (economic activity) is our priority today, he added.

Kamal Nath also scotched rumours that were circulating earlier about the possibility of his joining the BJP.

"Have you ever heard this from my mouth? You (media) run this news (about switching sides), and then ask me about it. I had said it that first, journalists should refute it," Kamal Nath said.

The Congress leader said he will not contest the Lok Sabha polls.

"I am not contesting elections, Nakul Nath will contest," he said. Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath is the sitting MP from Chhindwara.

Asked about BJP working hard in Chhindwara and seeking to win the seat, the former Union Minister said he has a relationship with the people of the area for the last 45 years.

"I dedicated my life to Chhindwara. Today Chhindwara has an identity. Any person from Chhindwara, wherever he goes, can proudly say that he has come from Chhindwara."

Answering a query on Congress' first list of candidates for Lok Sabha polls, Kamal Nath said a meeting of the Congress Central Election Committee is slated for Wednesday and a list of at least 15-20 candidates may be announced.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)