MP Political Crisis: Kamal Nath Govt Gets a Breather, Thanks to Coronavirus

New Delhi/Bhopal: The Congress-led Kamal Nath government on Monday got a breather as the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, which was set to witness a floor test, was adjourned till March 26 on Monday.

The floor test is now likely to be held on March 26, coinciding with the Rajya Sabha elections.

On Monday, just after the brief address of the governor, MLAs belonging to the Opposition Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) the demand for a floor test, triggering an uproar.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Govind Singh, however, raised the issue of coronavirus threat in the country and also mentioned the Central government's advisory.

The Speaker accepted Singh's plea and adjourned the House till March 26.

Earlier, commenting on the development, chief minister Kamal Nath said: “If the BJP feels it has majority, let it move a no-confidence motion. Who is stopping them? We will prove out majority.”

Reacting to Monday’s developments, former CM and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan said instead of “beating around the bush,” Kamal Nath should honour the Governor’s letter and seek a trust vote “to let the world know whether his government enjoys a majority or has been reduced to a minority in the House.”

Chouhan Moves SC Seeking Floor Test

PTI reported from New Delhi that former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Kamal Nath-led government to undertake floor test in view of the political crisis in the state, former Advocate General of MP Purushaindra Kaurav said.

The plea has been filed against the recent political developments and alleged that the direction of Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tondon to the chief minister for conducting a floor test on March 16 has not been complied with, the lawyer said. =

Before the ruckus, Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon completed his address to House in one minute and left.

Last night, Nath had written to the Governor saying a floor test in the absence of MLAs in captivity was not possible.

On Monday, many legislators could be seen wearing protecting masks in view of the novel coronavirus scare.

These masks were provided by the state Assembly Secretariat as announced earlier by Speaker NP Prajapati.

In a midnight order on Sunday, the Governor had asked the Speaker to conduct a floor test on Monday, when the budget session of the Assembly was to begin.

The order said division of votes would be held after the Governor’s address in the Vidhan Sabha and the proceedings would be videographed by an independent official.

Governor Lalji Tandon, in a letter to Chief Minister Kamal Nath, to call upon him to prove his government’s majority, had stated that his “prima facie belief” was that the government had lost the trust of the Assembly and was in minority. In addition, Tandon pointed to the BJP’s claim that the State government was putting “unwanted pressure” on those who’d resigned and other members.

At the end of the letter, he wrote that the test must be conducted in any condition and shouldn’t be postponed, delayed or suspended. Earlier during the day, BJP leaders had alleged the Congress was attempting to stall the test.

Earlier in the day, the BJP leaders had called on the Governor and urged him to direct the Kamal Nath government to take the floor test after the resignation of 22 MLAs.

A delegation, led by Chouhan, Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava, Narottam Mishra, Bhupendra Singh and Rampal Singh, handed a memorandum to the Governor, stating that the Nath government had lost majority in the House after the resignation of 22 Congress MLAs. Till date, however, the Speaker has only accepted the resignation of of six rebel Congress MLAs.

Soon after the BJP leaders left, the Governor called Chief Secretary SR Mohanty, DGP Vivek Johri, Bhopal collector Tarun Pithode and DIG Irshad Wali for a meeting.

Congress, BJP Issued Whip to its MLAs

The Madhya Pradesh Congress and the BJP on Saturday issued a whip to all its MLAs to remain present in the Assembly from March 16 to April 13 during the budget session, and vote on party line.

Congress Minister for legislative affairs Dr Govind Singh who is also the chief whip of the Congress issued the three-line whip asking all the MLAs should be present during the proceedings of every working day of the session and vote in favour of the government, it said. The BJP has asked the same to its MLAs.

Speaker Accepts Resignations of 6 Scindia Loyalists

On Saturday, Speaker NP Prajapati accepted the resignations of six Jyotiraditya Scindia loyalist former ministers of the Kamal Nath government. Their membership from the state assembly as legislators stand annulled and their resignations accepted, said Prajapati talking to reporters.

The former ministers are Imarti Devi, Pradyumn Singh Tomar, Govind Singh Rajput, Prabhuram Choudhary, Mahendra Singh Sisodia and Tulsiram Silawat.

All six along with 16 other Congress MLAs are allegedly lodged in a resort in Bangalore by the BJP.

In a statement issued on late Saturday evening, Speaker NP Prajapati said, “The membership of six ministers who were expelled from the cabinet on recommendation of chief minister Kamal Nath have been terminated from the Madhya Pradesh assembly. Their resignations have been accepted.”

The members were given an opportunity to appear before me the first time on March 13 between 3:30 pm and 6 pm. But they failed to turn-up and later, on Saturday, they were again asked to meet me between 12:45 pm and 2:45 pm,” Prajapati added.

Speaker said that the former ministers failed to present themselves before him even on Saturday.

“All these members have already been removed by the Governor from the state cabinet. The conduct of concerned members is surprising. They are not fit to be members of the state assembly. Hence, as per the Rules of Conduct of Madhya Pradesh Assembly and under Rule 276 (1b), the resignations tendered by all the six members have been accepted.”

Numbers’ Game

The strength of the Madhya Pradesh House has been reduced from 230 to 222 seats -- two seats are vacant because of deaths of MLAs from Jaura seat Banwarilal Sharma and Agar-Malwa constituency Manohar Utwal plus the acceptance of resignations of six former ministers.

The Congress had a total of 115 party MLAs after Jhabua bypoll victory in October last year and with support of two BSP, one SP and four independents had a total 122 seats. The BJP had 108.

The arithmetic now stands at Congress with 108 party MLAs (115 if Congress alliance members are counted) and BJP has 107. Till now, the seven alliance MLAs are with Congress party. But 16 Congress MLAs are still in Bangalore out of reach of the state government. They have also sent their resignations on March 10, but Speaker has not accepted them yet.

Nath Letter to Amit Shah

Chief minister Kamal Nath on Saturday dashed off a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, asking for the safe return of the 22 Congress MLAs before budget session starts in the state assembly on March 16. “My request to you is to utilize your powers as Union home minister and securely bring back the 22 imprisoned Congress MLAs so they may do their duties as legislators without fear or allurement,” the CM wrote.

In the letter, Nath gave a detailed account of how the state BJP was poaching on Congress alliance MLAs from March 3. “Through this letter, I want to draw your attention to the incidents that started from march 3, when three Congress MLAs, BSP’s Rambai and one independent MLA were taken to a hotel situated in Manesar, Gurugram,” CM Nath wrote. “At the right time, two ministers reached the hotel and released Mrs Rambai and her family members from the captivity of BJP leaders,” he explained. The CM said that three Congress MLAs and one independent were taken to Bangalore in a chartered plane. He alleged that BJP MLA Arvind Bhadoria and party office-bearer Ashish Tiwari were mentioned in the list of passengers and they took the Congress legislators to Bangalore.

Kamal Nath said he had information that all means of communication have been taken away from them and the MLAs are being held captive. He also narrated the incident when Narayan Choudhary, father of MLA Manoj Choudhary was not allowed to meet his own son when he reached the resort in Bangalore. He argued that the photographs and videos released of these MLAs reveal that they were being pressured to behave and speak in a certain manner.

“You will agree that there is reason of a floor test if 22 MLAs are being held hostage outside the state,” CM Nath wrote. “It is an unprecedented situation when on one hand, the BJP is asking for floor test and on the other, holding many Congress MLAs captive,” he added.

(With inputs from PTI)