Turmoil returns in MP as Cong can’t trace 15-20 MLAS

BHOPAL: The crisis for the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh intensified with 15 to 20 Congress MLAS, including some ministers, remaining incommunicado on Monday, leading to a series of meetings between Nath and senior leaders in Bhopal.

Late on Monday, at least 17 ministers “tendered their resignation to the CM”, said information public relations minister PC Sharma, who was one of those who resigned, suggesting a reshuffle in the state cabinet to keep the flock together.

While some reports said that the missing lawmakers left for Bengaluru on Monday afternoon in chartered flights, chief minister Nath blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for trying to destabilise the government and said the legislators would be back soon, as jockeying among senior Congress leaders intensified before the crucial Rajya Sabha polls on March 26.

Of the three Upper House seats, the Congress and the BJP are sure to win one each. However,

there will be a contest for the third seat as Congress is two members short of the number to get its second candidate elected. The BJP, on the other hand, will need the support of nine lawmakers to win the contest. It is unclear who the Congress will name as its Upper House candidates from the state.

In the assembly with effective strength of 228, the Congress has 114 MLAS, the BJP 107 and there are seven others — two from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), one from the Samajwadi Party (SP), and four independents. The seven others all support the Nath government, giving it a slender majority of six; one independent lawmaker, Pradeep Jaiswal, is a minister in his cabinet.

A senior Congress leader, who was not willing to be named, said on Monday: “We got information about 11 MLAS and six ministers reaching Bengaluru today. Later, we came to know that two more MLAS were reaching there. The party leaders are trying to contact them. The party president Sonia Gandhi has been briefed about the development by chief minister Kamal Nath.”