BackMP govt crisis: Several Congress MLAs land in Bengaluru; CM cuts short Delhi visit
Sources say the number of Congress MLAs who were in Bengaluru had gone up to 19 and one more MLA expected to reach Bengaluru by Monday nightImmediately after landing in Bhopal, CM Kamal Nath went into a huddle with veteran leader Digvijay Singh and other senior ministerial colleagues
PremiumBengaluru: The political crisis faced by Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh appears to have accentuated with 13 party MLAs and six ministers reported to be in Bengaluru.
The developments have come amid factional differences in the party unit and at a time the party has to finalise its Rajya Sabha candidates from the state.
Sources said the number of Congress MLAs who were in Bengaluru had gone up to 19 and one more MLA expected to reach Bengaluru by Monday night. They said the MLAs have come in batches and include six ministers from Madhya Pradesh.
The developments came on a day state chief Chief Minister Kamal Nath met party chief Sonia Gandhi and discussed the political situation in the state. Nath on Monday evening rushed back to Bhopal after cutting short his visit to Delhi in the wake of senior party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and a group of MLAs suddenly going 'incommunicado', causing ripples in state political circles.
Immediately after landing in Bhopal, Nath went into a huddle with veteran Congress leader Digvijay Singh and other senior ministerial colleagues at the CM's residence, sources said.
The sources said that MLAs are likely to be shifted to a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
According to the sources, BJP Mahadevpura MLA Arvind Limbavali has been in touch with the Congress MLAs. They said 16 MLAs were brought at HAL airport Bengaluru by a special flight and were staying in a hotel at present.
The session of Madhya Pradesh assembly will begin on March 16 and the BJP may bring no-confidence motion against the Kamal Nath government.
Kamal Nath had said after his meeting with Gandhi that Congress MLAs who were reportedly missing have returned and had informed him that they were on 'tirth yatra'.
"Congress MLAs came back and said to me that they went on' tirth yatra (pilgrimage)".
The Congress has accused the BJP of trying to topple the party government. Party leader Digvijaya Singh had earlier alleged that BJP leaders Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Narottam Mishra were offering bribes of ₹25-35 crore to Congress MLAs in order to bring down the Congress government in the state. The BJP had refuted the allegations.
In 2018 assembly elections, Congress won 114 seats in the 230-member Assembly and formed the government with the support of four Independent MLAs and two BSP MLAs and a legislator from the Samajwadi Party (SP). The BJP had secured 109 seats in the state assembly.
Last week,Madhya Pradesh Labour Minister Mahendra Singh Sisodia had warned that the state government will face a crisis if it "ignores or disrespects" party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Scindia had said last month that he will not hesitate to hit the roads if promises made in a manifesto by Kamal Nath-led government in Madhya Pradesh were not fulfilled.
Kamal Nath had responded to the remarks saying, "To utar jayein" (Let him hit the streets if he wants to).
Congress MLA Bisahulal Singh, who was "missing" for the past few days, returned to Bhopal on Sunday and said he had gone on a pilgrimage.
Independent MLA Surendra Singh said on Monday that he was hoping to become a minister in Madhya Pradesh government soon.
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This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
