Bhopal, December 12: Congress' Madhya Pradesh unit president and 9-time Lok Sabha MP Kamal Nath has been confirmed as the next Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, said reports. The decision was reportedly taken at the Congress' Legislature Party (CLP) held in Bhopal today. The formal announcement is expected to be made by party president Rahul Gandhi shortly.

Nath, 72, is the senior-most Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh. He holds the record of being the party's longest reigning Lok Sabha MP, having served as the lawmaker from Chhindwara constituency for 9 consecutive terms. Kamal Nath Stakes Claim to Form Government, Meets Governor.

Ahead of the high-stake assembly elections in MP, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had appointed Nath as the party's state unit president -- replacing Arun Yadav. Nath's deployment was seen as an attempt by the party high command to resolve factionalism. Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is seen as Nath's rival for the CM post, was charged to head the campaign committee.

Pollsters credit Nath for uniting the party cadres, who were earlier reportedly divided to support the chief ministerial prospects of Scindia, Yadav and Ajay Singh -- the former Leader of Opposition.

Nath is also considered instrumental in bringing back to the party fold supporters of ex-CM Digvijaya Singh. Party cadres loyal to the latter were earlier dejected due to Digvijaya's alleged alienation.

Nath not only holds a combined legislative experience of 40 years, he has also held key Ministerial portfolios in four Congress-led governments at the Centre. In the UPA years, he was charged with the Ministries of Commerce & Industry, Road Transport & Highways, Urban Development, Petroleum & Natural Gas and Parliamentary Affairs.

Ideologically, Nath is a proponent of free marketism. He has advocated for liberal FDI norms, claiming that connecting the economy with the global market is a key policy measure to accelerate growth and increase jobs.

In terms of educational qualification, Nath is Commerce graduate from the University of Calcutta. His schooling was completed at The Doon School in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur -- the city where he was born on November 18, 1946.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 12, 2018 06:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).