Impressive Road show by Kamal Nath in Gwalior

Team Absolute|Gwalior Ahead of crucial by-elections in Madhya Pradesh leader of opposition in the state assembly and MP Congress Committee president Kamal Nath on Friday conducted a massive road show in Gwalior to display the extent of support to the party in the region ahead of the crucial by-polls. Large crowd joined the road show from airport to the memorial of Rani Laxmibai, a 7km stretch. Congress workers gathered at various points to welcome Nath, who is on a two-day tour of Gwalior, and showered petals on him. This is the first major attempt of the Congress at a show of strength in by-polls bound Gwalior-Chambal region that has always been considered a family bastion of Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia. This is the first time in several years that the Congress will be going to polls in the region without the support of the Scindia family. However, the party managed to bring enough supporters to present an impressive show on Friday. Of the 28 seats up for by-polls, 16 are in Gwalior-Chambal region and this has made the region a hotbed of politics currently. Meanwhile, activists of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) who were trying to show black flags to Kamal Nath also former chief minister asking him to go back, had a scuffle with the police. The cops resorted to mild cane-charge on the activists to push them back. Before the road show started, BJYM and Congress members had a confrontation when the former tore up some Congress posters at Padav Square. At the end of the road show, Nath paid tributes at the Memorial of Rani Laxmibai. Later, the ex-CM met the party office bearers, workers and different delegations. On Saturday he will hold meetings with sector office bearers of the party from Gwalior and Dabra constituencies and also hold a meeting with district president of the party for by-polls preparation. Earlier in the day, Home Minister Narottam Mishra who also hails from Gwalior questioned as to where Kamal Nath was during his tenure as chief minister as he never visited Gwalior then. Kamal Nath responded to this point while talking to the media saying that he never interfered in Gwalior-Chambal politics earlier as some people had issues (indicating Scindia) but Friday’s public response reinforced the support for Congress in the region. He also said that over the years, Gwalior-Chambal had receded to the background and there was no progress, but now his focus will be squarely on the region. He also said that the BJP was trying its best to stop him from visiting Gwalior, but they were not successful and no one could stop him.