CLP leader Nath tightens grip over party

Former CM Kamal Nath has been declared leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly.

State Assembly pro-tem speaker Rameswar Sharma accorded him status of the Leader of the Opposition in the House following a letter written to him by MP Pradesh Congress Committee apprising him of the party’s decision to appoint him the Congress Legi-slature Party (CLP) leader.

“I declare Mr Nath leader of Opposition in the House following a letter written to me by the Congress in this regard,” Mr Sharma told reporters on Wednesday evening.

Mr Nath, who stepped down as chief minister on March 20 in the wake of 22 Congress legislators, loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia, resigning from the House, also holds the post of president of MP PCC.

Later, Mr Scindia and ex-MLAs joined BJP.

With his fresh appointment as CLP leader, Mr Nath has tightened his grip over the party, virtually gaining the status of supremo of state Congress.

BJP leader Pankaj Chaturvedy who switched over to the saffron party from Congress along with 22 former Congress MLAs, took a jibe at Mr Nath for holding duel posts of PCC chief and CLP leader.

A senior Congress leader said there was no violation of party rules or constitution in the appointment of Mr Nath as the Leader of the Opposition.

◗ KAMAL NATH had stepped down as chief minister on March 20 in the wake of 22 Congress legislators, loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia, resigning from the Assembly