Nakul Nath set to make election debut from father Kamal Nath's citadel

Nakul Nath, the elder son of Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath, is set to contest from his father's impregnable citadel, Chhindwara

It is almost official that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s elder son, Nakul Nath, will contest from his father’s citadel, Chhindwara, in the Lok Sabha elections.

The official announcement is merely a formality. The senior Nath recently told a social gathering in Chhindwara: “I have served you for 40 years. Now I want to hand over this responsibility to my elder son.”

When Nath was making this announcement, Nakul was present on the dais. The people of Chhindwara were evidently unsurprised. They knew that someday Nakul would join politics.

Nakul (44) is an alumnus of Doon School and took his MBA degree from Boston University. He is a director in almost 20 companies, which include a vast portfolio, from real estate to plantation and hospitality.

Nakul first campaigned in 1996, when his mother, Alka Nath, contested from this traditional seat. The Congress denied the ticket to Kamal Nath because his name had cropped up in the hawala scam. However, his name was cleared within a year. Nakul worked hard and had a significant role in his mother’s victory. That was the year the Nakul Nath Youth Force was established in Chhindwara. The organisation, run by his fans and followers, is active still. 

Although he had immersed himself in assisting his father in the last four Lok Sabha elections, his intention to enter politics came into focus in May last year, when Kamal Nath took over as Madhya Pradesh Congress chief. Nakul was seated behind his father in his introductory press conference when he took charge.

When the Assembly elections were announced there were rumours that Nakul may contest from one of the seven assembly seats in Chhindwara. He didn’t, but during the campaign, he led a mega road show in favour of Chhindwara candidate Deepak Saxena. This road show was a huge success and was talk of the town for a while. Saxena, however, has vacated the assembly seat for Kamal Nath because the latter has to become an MLA within six months of swearing in.

During the Assembly elections, Nakul led the war room, which was created at B-9 Shyamla Hills, then the residence of Kamal Nath. The Congress had swept all the seven Assembly seats in Chhindwara. This has bolstered his confidence and made him more prepared to take charge of the seat his father represented in the Lok Sabha for nine terms.

Nakul is known to be a humble and soft-spoken person. He has been socially active in the constituency for a while. He has taken a role in the construction of temples and is often seen in them.

Ten months ago Nakul said he was not interested in active politics. A few months ago he said “the day you observe me in kurta-pajama instead of jeans-shirts you know I am ready to serve Chhindwara. Since then a lot has happened”. He recently announced in a meeting “politics is in my blood and I am ready to serve Chhindwara”.

After Kamal Nath became the state’s chief minister, Nakul started meeting local leaders and villagers. He has addressed more than 26 public meetings in the past one and a half months, many of them with his father. Alka Nath is also campaigning for him, urging people to vote for “their own son”.