Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has said the Congress is unlikely to win a majority in the Lok Sabha polls and that it will need help from allies to form a government at the Centre in New Delhi, PTI reported. The Congress leader told the news agency on Saturday that his party would fare “very, very well” and that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party would not be able to stake claim to form the government with or without an alliance.
Nath claimed Congress President Rahul Gandhi was the obvious choice for the post of prime minister after the polls. “I do not see us reaching a majority and there will have to be a post poll alliance and this post-poll alliance will throw up different types of combinations,” Nath was quoted as saying. “If there is an alliance, the alliance will take decisions.”
He described the BJP’s aim to get re-elected as far-fetched. “There are today two types [of alliances] – one is anti-BJP and one is pro-BJP,” Nath said. “The pro-BJP numbers are very small and for anti-BJP - you see the entire political spectrum is against it. They [BJP] will neither have numbers nor will other political parties go with them.”
‘Centre is misusing central agencies’
The Madhya Pradesh chief minister described as politically motivated the recent Income-Tax Department raids at premises purportedly linked to his associates. The Income Tax department on April 7 searched the Indore home of Praveen Kakkad, an officer on special duty to Nath, and other properties related to him. Premises connected with Kamal Nath’s nephew and businessman Ratul Puri, the Congress leader’s brother-in-law Deepak Puri’s firm Moser Baer, and the home Nath’s former advisor Rajendra Kumar Miglani in Delhi were also searched.
Income Tax officials conducted searches at 50 locations, including Bhopal, Goa and Delhi.
Nath accused the Centre of misusing agencies against its opponents. “What did the PM said first about the searches... where has the money been found?” he told PTI. “I don’t know the person [Ashwani Sharma], he never met me and he himself told the media that he is from the BJP. So why am I being associated with all this? I do not know. Was anything found in Mr Kakkad’s place? Nothing was found at his place, nothing.”
The chief minister dismissed the department’s claim that it had busted a “well-organised racket involving unaccounted cash of Rs 281 crore” in Madhya Pradesh.
Tear my son’s clothes if he does not deliver, says CM
The chief minister urged people in Chhindwara to vote for his son Nakul Nath in the Lok Sabha polls. “Tear my son’s clothes” if he fails to deliver on his campaign promises, PTI quoted him as saying at an election rally in Dhanora village on Saturday.
“I am where I am because of the love and strength you gave me,” Kamal Nath said. “Nakul is not here today but he will serve you. I have given him the responsibility. Take him to task and tear his clothes if he does not deliver.”
Kamal Nath served as MP from Chhindwara for nine terms and vacated it to become chief minister. His son is contesting the bye-poll, which will be held along with the Lok Sabha election on April 29.
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