MP: One more Cong MLA quits, joins BJP

The Congress on Friday suffered yet another jolt with party MLA from Nepanagar in Burhanpur district in Madhya Pradesh Sumitra Devi Kasdekar resigning from the Assembly.

She is likely to join the ruling BJP soon, sources said.

She is the 24th Congress MLA to quit membership of the MP Assembly since March 22, when Congress legislators, staunch loyalists of veteran leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, resigned from the House to pull down the 15month-old Kamal Nath government.

They later joined the BJP following Mr Scindia’s footsteps.

Last week, Congress MLA from Bada Malhera in MP Pradyumna Singh Lodha resigned as member of the House.

Hours later he joined the BJP and was made chairman of the state food and civil supplies corporation.

The effective strength of MP Assembly has been reduced to 204 following the resignation of 24 MLAs and death of two others in the past five months.

The Congress has, meanwhile, accused the ruling BJP of wooing party MLAs with money to resign from the House and join the saffron party.

“The BJP is luring Congress MLAs to join the party by offering money and positions in the government. This will boomerang on BJP ultimately. The party will face anger of people in the upcoming byelections to the Assembly constituencies that fell vacant following resignation of sitting MLAs for indulging in horsetrading,” senior Congress leader and former minister P.C. Sharma said.

BJP spokesman Rajneesh Agrawal, however, dismissed the allegation that his party was trying to purchase Congress MLAs.