Chhindwara: In an embarrassment for the Congress, senior leader and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday rejected claims of an LPG shortage in Madhya Pradesh, contradicting his party’s aggressive campaign against the Centre and the state government.
While the Congress has been consistently targeting the Central and Madhya Pradesh governments over alleged delays in LPG supply and hardship faced by the public, Kamal Nath dismissed the narrative outright.
Speaking to reporters in Chhindwara, where he had gone to attend a funeral, the veteran leader said: “There is no such shortage. It is just an atmosphere being created that there is a shortage.”
He asserted that there is “no dearth of cooking gas” in the state and accused certain quarters of deliberately manufacturing panic for political gains. His statement closely echoes the Centre’s stand that there is no real crisis, but rather rumours being amplified.
Kamal Nath, who also heads the Congress Legislature Party in Madhya Pradesh, indirectly targeted the ruling BJP by suggesting that such narratives are being spread to divert public attention from governance issues.
His remarks come at a time when complaints of delayed LPG deliveries and long queues at distribution centres have been reported from several districts.
However, the former Chief Minister maintained that the situation is largely normal and urged people not to be misled by rumours. Political observers view Kamal Nath’s statement as a setback to the Congress’s strategy of building electoral momentum around the so-called LPG crisis, especially in poll-bound states such as West Bengal, Assam, and Kerala.
Local residents in Chhindwara and nearby areas have shown mixed reactions.
While some households reported minor delays in cylinder refills in recent weeks, many others said supplies are generally available through regular channels.
The development is likely to intensify the political debate over the availability of essential commodities in Madhya Pradesh and place the Congress in an awkward position as it continues to criticise the government on the same issue elsewhere in the country.
(IANS)
