BHOPAL : The Congress High Command has given a jolt to the drive of some state Congress MLAs, who want former Union Minister Kamalnath to be appointed as State Congress President. On Tuesday, Kamalnath was made Chairman of screening committee for Assam Assembly elections.
Kamalnath’s appointment is a clear signal that the party intends to keep him in Delhi. Voting for assembly elections in Assam is due on April 4 and 11. Deputy Leader of Opposition Bala Bachchan, MLA Tarun Bhanot and others were demanding that state Congress President Arun Yadav should be replaced with Kamalnath. Several leaders of the Nath camp are lobbying for their leader’s appointment to the top post and they are getting the support of anti-Yadav faction. Govind Singh and Arif Aqueel have also lent their support to the demand. According to sources, Congress high command is not in favour of a change of guard in the state as of now. Assembly elections in the state are three years away and the party is unwilling to spare a senior central leader for the state. Scindia and Digvijay Singh will also ke kept away from state’s politics.
Kamalnath’s age is also coming in the way. Nath is 70 and he may not be able to match Shivraj Singh Chauhan’s energy levels.
