About 1,000 Kamal Nath supporters leave Chhindwara for Bhopal ahead of his 80th birthday event

About 1,000 supporters of Kamal Nath left Chhindwara for Bhopal on Friday to attend an event to be held in the city on 14 November, four days before his 80th birthday.

The group from Kamal Nath's home district includes Congress office-bearers, workers and members of various affiliated organisations. District Congress president Vishwanath Okte has directed office-bearers and workers of all the organisations to attend. More than 5,000 people are expected to gather at the 14 November event.

The event is being seen as important for the Congress's future politics. It is being read as a show of strength by Kamal Nath and a sign of his active role in state politics. Kamal Nath turns 80 on 18 November. The gathering of supporters in Bhopal before his birthday is seen as significant for his present political strength and future role.

Kamal Nath has won the Lok Sabha election from Chhindwara nine times and has also been a Union minister. Under his leadership, the Congress returned to power in Madhya Pradesh in 2018 after 15 years. He had to step down as chief minister in March 2020 after his government fell.

The biggest talking point is whether Kamal Nath will use the platform to signal that he is handing his political legacy to his son Nakul Nath, or to convey his own role in the Congress's bid to return to power in Madhya Pradesh. Nakul Nath is a former MP from Chhindwara and is active in the region's politics. There is talk that Kamal Nath may hint at handing the legacy to his son, but neither the party nor Kamal Nath has made any official announcement.

Digvijaya Singh said recently that the next Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh would be fought under the leadership of Jitu Patwari and Umang Singhar. This set off discussion on the future leadership roles in the state Congress. That is why Kamal Nath's gathering of thousands of supporters carries political meaning.

There is also the question of whether he will give any indication of his role in the Congress's strategy and leadership for the coming Assembly election. For now, he has made no clear claim to the chief minister's post. All eyes are on Kamal Nath's address, and on what political message he gives, beyond the birthday event, on Nakul Nath's role, the state Congress leadership and the coming Assembly election.