The Congress' loss in the Lok Sabha polls has caused a churn in the Kamal Nath government.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Wednesday announced that it will continue to provide outside support to the Kamal Nath-led government in Madhya Pradesh, providing it with a much-needed breather in the wake of the Congress' disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha elections.
"We extended outside support to the Congress government to prevent communal and casteist forces from taking over, and a decision to continue supporting it has been taken at the national president's level," BSP vice-president Ramji Gautam said, apparently referring to the Narendra Modi-led BJP that has stormed back to power in the country.
He said there was no question of a BSP legislator being included in the cabinet. "The stand of our party chief, Mayawati, has always been clear: We will support the government in Madhya Pradesh from outside and not accept any post in the government," he said.
The Kamal Nath government is being propped up by two BSP legislators, Sanju Kushwah from Bhind and Rambai Thakur from Pathariya, besides a Samajwadi Party legislator and four independent ones.
BSP legislator Rambai Thakur had recently alleged that the BJP offered her Rs 50 crore and a plum position if she helped bring down the Kamal Nath government. "But I am not going to be influenced by such offers. I stand with Dada (Kamal Nath)," she said.
The development assumes significance in the light of BSP chief Mayawati tweeting on April 30 that she could reconsider support to the Madhya Pradesh government, given how her party candidate from the Guna Lok Sabha seat - Lokendra Singh Rajput - had been "lured" by the Congress.
The Madhya Pradesh Congress' dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections has led to heavy churning in the Kamal Nath government, with over three ministers demanding that party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia be given charge of the state party leadership. The Congress managed to win just one of the 29 parliamentary constituencies in the state, letting the BJP have 28.