Will Kamal Nath, Vivek Tankha join BJP?

Rumours are rife that senior Congress leader Kamal Nath and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha are likely to join BJP.

Sources said that a deal between Kamal Nath and BJP which had earlier derailed has been brought back on track with several state BJP leaders including Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan backing the deal.

Sources said that the issue of Congress leaders joining BJP was also discussed during Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s recent visit to New Delhi and his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President Nadda.

Source said that Kamal Nath is likely to be given the Rajya Sabha seat while his son and the lone Congress MP from Madhya Pradesh will get Lok Sabha seat from Chhindwara and a ministerial post as well.

However, two Madhya Pradesh based Congress leaders -- who have recently met Kamal Nath -- said that during the meeting he (Kamal Nath) has asked party workers to work for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

“I can’t believe that Kamal Nath will join the BJP. If it happens, it will be a biggest jolt to the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. He has reshaped the Congress unit in the last five-six years,” one of the Congress leaders -- who recently met Kamal Nath -- told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Recently, Kamal Nath has also said that his son Nakul Nath will contest the Lok Sabha election on Congress ticket from his bastion Chhindwara.

Meanwhile, speculation is also rife about the Congress Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Vivek Tankha that he may also likely join BJP. Tankha is a close aide of Kamal Nath.

Notably, two Congress leaders -- Jabalpur Mayor Jagat Bahadur Singh akka ‘Annu’ and Shashank Shekhar -- former head of MP Congress legal cell have already joined BJP. Both Jagat Bahadur and Shahank Shekhar are said to be close to Vivek Tankha.

Tankha was given a second tenure as Rajya Sabha MP in June 2022. His tenure will expire in June 2028.

Sources said that if Kamal Nath joins the BJP, there is a possibility that Tankah may also end his association with Congress.