My priority is restoring lost trust: MP Congress President Kamal Nath

KAMAL NATH, the Congress candidate for chief minister (CM) in Madhya Pradesh (MP), shares his election strategy with Aditi Phadnis in the following edited excerpts from their interview:

How confident are you that you will be the one to meet the governor to form the government in December, rather than Shivraj Singh Chouhan? What makes you so confident?
 

I am confident because I’ve spared no effort. This contest isn’t just against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but also against the BJP’s organisation. I’ve spent the last four years building our organisation here.

Politics has evolved significantly, even over the past five years. I’ve been contesting elections for 44 years and have witnessed these dramatic changes. Five years ago, only 25 per cent of people were on social media; now, it’s 95 per cent.

Now, politics has become localised. People ask, “If my child is ill at night, who will come to my rescue?” You need to convincingly answer this to secure their vote. To do this, you must have a well-organised presence at the village level and assure voters that your candidate will help them. This is what we’ve accomplished here — building a strong organisation.

People in the state feel they’ve been taken for a ride over the past 18 years. MP is the most corrupt state in the country, and its people are either victims of corruption or witnesses to it.

Unemployment is a pressing issue, and all of Shivraj’s promises have become a mockery. He hasn’t even filled the vacant posts. People see through all of this; you don’t need to educate them. They notice that in the agriculture sector, they’re not getting fair prices, and even when they do, they struggle to obtain fertilisers and seeds. Small shopkeepers are feeling the pinch of disrupted supplies.

I’ve told the people that voting for us means voting for the truth, not for lies and unfulfilled promises.

This election isn’t about a specific party or candidate; it’s about the future of the state. The BJP knows this too, so it has put up all its Delhi stalwarts and refrained from announcing Shivraj as the CM.

You’ve been CM before, so you’re familiar with MP’s structural fiscal problems, such as a high debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio and a high fiscal deficit. It's been advised to undertake power distribution reforms. However, the Congress manifesto doesn’t address these challenges. How will you tackle them?
 

The manifesto focuses on what the common man understands. It avoids technicalities that may be factual. A manifesto needs to connect with people’s experiences.

We must remember that there’s a difference between debt-to-GDP ratios and economic activity. For example, a small village kirana shop might not be reflected in the GDP, but it represents economic activity. When you establish an industrial unit that employs 500 or 1,000 people, it sets off a chain of economic activities — someone starts a dhaba, someone initiates an e-rickshaw service. These may be too small to contribute to GDP but are part of economic activity.

My goal is to increase economic activity in the state.

You became CM in 2018, but you lost the position in 2021 due to the Congress high command’s mishandling of your former colleague, Jyotiraditya Scindia. He says this, not me. How will you prevent a recurrence of such an incident in the future?
 

2021’s events were the result of a purely financial deal. I don’t want to delve into the logistics manager’s role, but it was a financial transaction, and it happened openly. Fourteen months ago, we won the position of Gwalior mayor after 35 years, as well as Morena on the border with Gwalior.

I don't want to engage in a blame game. What matters is people’s perception.

But it was taken away from you right under your nose! Someone has to answer.
 

I had a 15-month tenure, losing two months during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections’ code of conduct. In that brief time, I demonstrated both my principles (neeti) and intentions (neeyat). I simplified processes, set up cow sheds (gaushalas), increased pensions, and achieved many things. People are aware of this.

For me, there’s a distinction between achievement and fulfilment. In each ministry I managed during my tenure as a minister at the Centre since 1991, my aim was fulfilment, whether it was the Ministry of Environment and the Earth Summit or the World Trade Organization.

Given your background as a trade minister, 60 per cent of agriculture in MP relies on soybean. Global volatility in this commodity can affect the state’s farmers. How will you address this?
 

You’re mistaken; it’s no longer the case. MP’s economy now relies on agriculture by 70 per cent. This isn’t limited to farmers; it includes tractor drivers, pump repairmen, and agricultural labourers.

Soybean was the state’s primary crop five years ago, but now maize, wheat, and others have taken its place.

The issue isn’t solely global price volatility, though it’s significant. More immediate concerns, like excessive or deficient rainfall, are crucial. If crops fail, I need to ensure that farmers receive compensation promptly to prevent their families from going hungry.

Do you believe MP needs a new industrial strategy?
 

Investment can’t be demanded; it must be made attractive. People need to have faith in your state. We’re surrounded by five states, so we must gain investors’ trust and show them why it makes sense to establish units in MP.

People who wish to sell in Tamil Nadu and Kerala set up their plants in Punjab and Haryana because they lack trust in MP. This perception needs to change, and I initiated efforts in this direction.