Bhopal/New Delhi: Chief Minister Kamal Nath managed to ward off its biggest challenge in 14 months in office, foiling the BJP's attempt to topple the Madhya Pradesh government by buying out the ruling alliance MLAs.
Six out of the eight Congress Madhya Pradesh MLAs, who were allegedly held hostage at Gurugram overnight, were brought back to Bhopal on Wednesday, and taken off straight to the residence of Chief Minister Kamal Nath.
According to the Congress sources, among the eight MLAs who have been taken to Haryana, four are from the Congress, one is an Independent lawmaker, while the rest of them are from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP). Woman BSP MLA Rambai was allegedly manhandled when Congress ministers reached the hotel to meet her.
Currently, it seems difficult for the BJP to manage the numbers as defecting MLAs would have to resign if they were to back it during the next floor test of Rajya Sabha elections on March 26. Besides, return to the House is also not guaranteed to them in the consequent by-election.
With eight MLAs on its side, the BJP could only touch the figure of 113 as the two of its legislators, Sharad Kol and Narayan Tripathi, have already lent their support to the Congress. With independents and BSP and SP support, the Congress party still enjoys majority.
In the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the Congress has 114 MLAs, followed by the BJP with 107. The simple majority mark is 116. The Congress has come to power the state in 2018 after 15 years of BJP`s rule with the support of 4 Independents, 2 BSP and 1 SP MLA.
In a House of with effective strength of 228 after two seats fell vacant due to the death of incumbent MLAs, Congress is ahead with 114.
Earlier on Wednesday, Congress leader Jitu Patwari alleged that former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the "mastermind" of the "conspiracy" to bring down Kamal Nath-led government. He also asserted that there is no threat to the government.
"Rs 50-60 crores are being offered to our MLAs. Where did they get this money? Some of our MLAs are in Bengaluru but they are with us," Jitu Patwari told ANI, adding "When we went to the hotel, MLAs were beaten up."
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and his minister son Jaivardhan had also reached the Haryana hotel to meet the MLAs.
Chief Minister Kamal Nath told PTI, "Things are under control. There is nothing like that. The MLAs will come back."
Meanwhile, the MP government has ordered the closure of iron ore mines of mining baron and BJP MLA Sanjay Pathak, who, reportedly lured some MLAs to destabilise the Congress government in the state.
(With Agency Inputs)
