Bhopal: As 22 of its MLAs quit on Tuesday, the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh is on the verge of collapse just about nine months after the BJP toppled the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka last year in a similar fashion.
The resignation of these MLAs came after senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the Congress party early on Tuesday saying "it is now time for me to move on" and that he was unable to serve the people of the country while remaining in the party. Scindia is expected to join the BJP on Wednesday. At present, there are 228 MLAs in the 230-seat strong MP assembly and the majority mark sits at 115 seats. Of the total legislators, the Congress government until recently had enjoyed the support of 121 MLAs, which included four Independent, two Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLAs, and one Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA.
After the developments since Monday evening, if the resignation of the MLAs, who are said to be holed up in a resort in Bengaluru, is accepted by the Speaker of the house, NP Prajapati, the strength of Congress will come down to just 92.
According to a PTI report, however, at least 100 MLAs, including the four Independent members, were present at a meeting of the legislator wing called by the Congress party. The rebel MLAs, as well as the BSP and SP MLAs, were missing from the meeting, the report cited a source as saying.
Even if the claim of 100 MLAs attending the Congress meet is to be believed, this would still leave the party well short of the majority mark, which would come down to 104 as the total strength of the house would be 206 if the resignations of the 22 MLAs are accepted. This would also leave Congress with fewer MLAs than the BJP, which has 107 legislators in the house. In such a scenario, the Kamal Nath government could lose the trust vote, if and when held.
CM Kamal Nath also wrote to the Governor seeking immediate removal of six ministers, who are Scindia loyalists and are among those who quit on Tuesday. Those named in the letter were Imarti Devi, Tulsi Silawat, Govind Singh Rajput, Mahendra Singh Sisodiya, Pradyumn Singh Tomar and Prabhuram Chaudhari.
Other than these, those who have resigned also include Hardeep Singh Dang, Rajyavardhan Singh, Brajendra Singh Yadav, Jaspal Jajji, Suresh Dhakad, Jaswant Jatav, Raksha Santram Sironia, Munnalal Goyal, Ranveer Singh Jatav, OPS Bhadoria, Kamlesh Jatav, Giriraj Dandotiya, Raghuraj Kansana, Aidalsingh Kansana, Biasahulal Singh and Manoj Choudhary.
Meanwhile, Kamal Nath said that there is no threat to his government in the state and that it would not only prove its majority but complete its full term.
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