Bhopal: Rattled by the exit of his aides from the Congress in his pocket borough Chhindwara, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath has accused the ruling BJP of playing the game of lies and deceit.

In a post on X on Monday, Kamal Nath said the BJP was misusing money, muscle and administrative privileges to threaten opposition leaders in view of the Lok Sabha elections.

Kamal Nath’s outburst came after several of his trusted aides, including MLA Kamlesh Shah and Chhindwara mayor Vikram Ahake, joined the BJP.

While Shah joined the BJP last Friday, Ahake joined the ruling party on Monday.

Kamal Nath has represented Chhindwara in the Lok Sabha a record nine times. In the 2019 general elections, it was the only seat the Congress won in Madhya Pradesh. His son Nakul Nath is the sitting MP from the constituency.

Kamal Nath, who made headlines over rumours that he was i touch with the BJP, wrote on X that he had been working to make the city the most developed area of India. “Chhindwara has been my ‘karmbhoomi’ (workplace), but the BJP wants to turn this sacred land into a ‘ranbhoomi’ (battlefield),” he said.

“Before every election, the BJP plays the game of lies, deceit, and bargaining, but the election results will reveal that the people of Chhindwara have given appropriate punishment to the BJP for this crime,” Nath stated.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is in Chhindwara, said on Tuesday that people want freedom from the Congress.

“The lotus will bloom 100% and people are now fed up with the dictatorship of a family. We have said that we will provide them protection. People want development and they trust the BJP government here… People want freedom from Congress. Many people including more than 100 sarpanches, district panchayat members, MLAs have joined BJP,” he said.

The Congress has fielded Nakul Nath from the Lok Sabha seat. The BJP has given the ticket to Vivek Bunty Sahu.

Congress leaders join BJP

Congress leader Kamlesh Shah, a three-term MLA from Amarwara in Chhindwara district, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party along with his wife, Harrai Nagar Palika chairperson Madhvi Shah, and sister, district panchayat member Kesar Netam last week.

On Monday, Chhindwara mayor Vikram Ahake joined the BJP in the presence of chief minister Mohan Yadav.

Yadav claimed the leader joined the BJP because of an alleged insult by Nakul Nath to the tribal community.

BJP leader Prahlad Patel slammed Kamal Nath for the remarks.

“People active in politics in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh and the country are familiar with the tactics of Kamal Nath. I say with pride that in 2004 I had ended the terror of Kamal Nath. Chhindwara is witness to the repression of BJP workers,” Patel told PTI.

There were rumours that Kamal Nath and Nakul Nath could quit the Congress and join the BJP. Nakul Nath had even announced his candidature from the seat unilaterally. However, later, the duo dismissed the rumours as false.

With inputs from PTI, ANI