Kamal Nath
Kamal Nath is among the few Sanjay Gandhi loyalists who maintained their presence within the Congress party even after the latter's death.
Kamal Nath is among the few Sanjay Gandhi loyalists who maintained their presence within the Congress party even after the latter's death and the rise of Rajiv Gandhi.
Born in Kanpur in November 1946, Nath studied in Kolkata before turning to politics. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh. Elected again in 1984, he, however, could not win a seat in the Rajiv Gandhi cabinet.
It was only in the Narasimha Rao government (1991-96) that he became a Minister of State, in charge of Environment and Forests, and later Textiles. Though he lost the election in 1996, he returned to the Lok Sabha in 1998, 1999 and now 2004. He remains a member of various Congress committees.
He has written a book on India's environmental concerns.
He is married, and has two sons.