Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and his son Nakul Nath are in election fray from their family turf of Chhindwara as Congress candidates, but their destinations are different.
While Kamal Nath is contesting bypoll from the Chhindwara assembly seat to continue in his office in Bhopal, his son is looking to enter Parliament in Delhi via his home district which is part of the Mahakaushal region.
The Congress has fielded Nakul Nath (44) from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency, represented by his father for a record nine times since 1980, marking his debut in electoral politics.
Kamal Nath has lost from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat only once, in 1997, when he was defeated by BJP stalwart Sunderlal Patwa in a bypoll.
In the 1996 Lok Sabha polls, Kamal Nath's wife Alka Nath had won from the family pocket borough.
When Kamal Nath (72) took over as the chief minister in December last year, he was not a member of the state assembly.
Under electoral laws, it is mandatory for Kamal Nath to become an MLA within six months of assuming office to continue as the chief minister.
The veteran politician decided to enter the assembly by contesting from the Chhindwara assembly seat, which is part of the Lok Sabha constituency once represented by him.
Kamal Nath's close aide Deepak Saxena had won the seat on a Congress ticket in assembly polls held in November last year. Saxena later resigned to pave the way for Kamal Nath to contest from the seat.
Now, elections in Chhindwara will be in limelight as both Kamal Nath and his son Nakul are contesting from the district to enter Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha, respectively.
The BJP is yet to announce its candidates against the father-son duo. Voting in Chhindwara will be held on April 29.
Madhya Pradesh Lok Sabha Election Management Committee chairman Suresh Pachouri told PTI, "Congress president Rahul Gandhi has taken a very good decision by nominating Nakul Nath from Chhindwara which his father had developed as a model constituency."
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