Chhindwara: Disrupting his Lok Sabha career spanning close to four decades, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday filed his nomination for the Chhindwara assembly by-polls.

Accompanying him was his son, Nakul, who also submitted his nomination for the Lok Sabha seat from Chhindwara, marking his political debut. Though Nakul has never directly fought in any of the previous elections, he has always campaigned for his father in the previous elections.

A veteran Congressman, Kamal Nath has contested the Lok Sabha poll nine times so far and the only time he was defeated was in a by-poll in 1997 against BJP leader Sunderlal Patwa.

Ahead of their nomination filing, the father-son duo offered prayers at Shikarpur temple. On reaching the temple, the two candidates termed the gesture as a tradition. Chief Minister Kamal Nath also said, “The BJP government is trying to pressurise us through Income Tax raids. It’s a political conspiracy against me but my opponents will not get anything out of this.”

“It’s a historical moment for me as my husband and son have filed their nominations together,” an emotional Alka Nath told News18.

The Madhya Pradesh CM’s wife was amongst others who had accompanied Kamal and Nakul Nath to the collectorate’s office where the nominations were filed.

After their nomination filing, CM Nath and his son set out on a political rally which was attended by thousands of party workers and office bearers. This was perhaps the first time in Madhya Pradesh politics where a father-son have filed their election nominations together.

The nomination filing comes against the backdrop of the I-T raids on the residences of Kamal Nath’s close associates.