MP gov steps in to end stalemate

Speaker Prajapati accepts resignations of 6 rebel Congress MLAs

Exactly a week into the political crisis that has gripped the Madhya Pradesh’s government, governor Lalji Tandon on Saturday commenced legal consultations with former governor of MP, Captain Singh Solanki, and former advocate general of the state P. Kaurav to explore options before him to end the prevailing stalemate in the state triggered by the resignation of 22 Congress MLAs.

While this was going on, the Speaker of Madhya Pradesh Assembly, N.P. Prajapati, late on Saturday accepted the resignations of six of the 22 rebel Congress MLAs.

The six Congress MLAs whose resignations were accepted were ministers in the Kamal Nath government and on Friday they were expelled from the state ministry by governor Lalji Tandon, following recommendations by the chief minister.

The six MLAs who cease to be member of the House are Govind Singh Rajput,

Mahendra Singh Sisodia, Prabhuram Choudhury, Pradyumna Singh Tomar, Tulsiram Silawat and Imarti Devi.

A press note issued by the state Assembly secretariat said these six MLAs were summoned by Speaker twice, on Friday and Saturday, to appear before him to explain the reason for their resignation from membership of the House. They, however, failed to appear before the Speaker but were seen issuing statements to electronic media on their resignation and hence they did not deserve to be member of the house, the press release said. Hence, the Speaker accepted their resignations, it added.

Twenty-two rebel Congress legislators, including these six ministers in the Kamal Nath government, had sent ■

their resignations to the Speaker of the Assembly and governor through BJP leaders on March 10. They all belong to the Jyotiraditya Scindia camp who has resigned from the Congress and joined BJP. They Are currently lodged in a resort in Bengaluru.

With Opposition BJP and ruling Congress differing over the timing of the floor test for the Kamal Nath government to prove its majority in the House, sources said that the governor is weighing options of deploying Central forces to provide security to 22 rebel Congress MLAs on their return from Bengaluru.

On Friday, Mr Kamal Nath met the governor to place his government’s stand that the release of 22 rebel Congress MLAs, must precede the floor test in the House. On Saturday, a BJP delegation led by former chief minister and BJP national vice-president Shivraj Singh Chouhan submitted a memorandum to Mr Tandon seeking the trust vote before the commencement of the Budget session scheduled to begin on Monday.

“The Budget session of Assembly has become meaningless because the Kamal Nath government has been reduced to minority following resignation of 22 Congress MLAs. Hence, we urged the governor to hold floor test before the commencement of the budget session of the house,” Mr

Chouhan said after meeting the governor.

The governor, sources said, also met chief secretary of the state S.R. Mohanty and DGP Vivek Johri in the evening to discuss the security arrangements for MLAs in the wake of the prevailing political turmoil in the state.

The rebel Congress MLAs suspended their plan to return to Bhopal from Bengaluru fearing for their security and said they would return if Central forces were given charge of their security.

Meanwhile, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting has been convened here on Sunday. Ninety-two Congress MLAs who have been lodged in a resort in Jaipur in Rajasthan to prevent their poaching by the BJP are scheduled to return to Bhopal on Sunday to take part in the CLP meeting.

The chief minister is also scheduled to hold a meeting of his Cabinet on Sunday in

view of the ensuing Budget Session of the House.