Kamal Nath meets Sonia Gandhi; speculations rife over new MP Cong chief

New Delhi: Congress general secretary Kamal Nath on Monday met party president Sonia Gandhi amid speculations that he might be appointed as the Madhya Pradesh PCC chief ahead of the state assembly elections next year.

The meeting lasted around half and hour and Nath is learnt to have discussed the political situation in Madhya Pradesh with Gandhi.

Nath is also the general secretary incharge of Haryana.

The Congress is in the process of revamping its organisation in all poll-bound states, with the latest interventions being made in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

According to well-placed sources, a reorganisation of the Madhya Pradesh unit of Congress is imminent with the nine-time MP leading the race for the post of the state party chief.

Nath has won the Lok Sabha election from Chhindwara segment of Madhya Pradesh nine times and is also one of the senior most Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha.

He is also learnt to be keen to return to Madhya Pradesh where the party is facing a challenge from the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP, which has been in power for 15 years.

Current Congress chief in Madhya Pradesh is former MP Arun Yadav. He was chosen to lead the party in the state by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

According to sources, the party wants to put its best foot forward and Nath is seen as a safe bet.

Interestingly, Congress' younger MP from Madhya Pradesh Jyotiraditya Scindia had during his recent visit to the state said that the party should project a face in the next year's assembly elections.

His statement had also triggered speculation on whether he was pitting himself as the next state chief.

Scindia is the chief whip of Congress in Lok Sabha.