Kamal Nath becomes CM, ghosts of 1984 return?

The suspense on the next CM for Madhya Pradesh has finally ended with the Congress electing its leader Kamal Nath for the position on Thursday.

Kamal Nath communicated this to the Governor Anandiben Patel, after which the Governor invited him for the oath-taking ceremony.

The Congress has won 114 seats in the recently concluded Assembly Elections, two short of the majority. But it has got external support from 7 MLAs — two from BSP, one from SP and four independents. However, Kamal Nath’s election has brought the Congress party under attack for his alleged role in the 1984 riots.

Akali Dal MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa had warned Rahul Gandhi against making Kamal Nath the CM.

AAP MLA and SC lawyer HS Phoolka also claimed on Thursday that there was “strong” evidence of Kamal Nath’s involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and said the wheel of justice was yet to turn against him.

Kamal Nath is an old Congress loyalist who was also referred to by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as her third son in 1979 when he helped her against the Morarji Desai government.

He took charge of the Environment Ministry in the Narsimha Rao government and was also at the helm of the Commerce ministry under UPA.