Congress MP Digvijaya Singh on Sunday said that the former Chief Minister Kamal Nath will be the party’s face in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh elections, and the electoral contest will take place under his leadership.

“We will fight the elections in MP under the leadership of State Congress chief Kamal Nath. So, he will be the face,” Singh said, according to ANI.

His remarks come days after Kamal Nath junked rumours around him possibly not contesting the elections slated to be held in November. Nath, however, said he was yet to decide whether to contest from his present Chhindwara Assembly seat or Sausar constituency, where he resides, reported Times of India.

Amidst the rumours on social media, the state Congress issued a statement stating that Kamal Nath, the president of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, had not made any announcement that he will not contest the polls. “News of this nature on social media is totally misleading,” the statement read.

Later, the former CM told reporters, “I did not say that I won’t contest the elections. Yesterday, I hosted a lunch for journalists and was asked whether I will give tickets to local leaders in the assembly constituencies. I said, I am the worst sufferer in this category. I am not a resident of Chhindwara assembly seat, which I represent. I am from Sausar constituency in Chhindwara district.”

“People from Sausar had asked me why I contest from Chhindwara assembly seat. And I told them, that my identity is attached to Chhindwara,” he added.

“Many may not have even heard of a constituency called Sausar. I said that I will decide where I will contest from. This was in relation to the question on giving tickets to local candidates,” Nath clarified, as quoted by TOI.