Former Union Minister and four-time parliamentarian Jyotiraditya Scindia resigned from the Congress today plunging the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government into crisis. Mr Scindia sent his resignation to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi shortly after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter's residence. Sources have said Mr Scindia may join the BJP, either today or on Saturday, and be nominated to the Rajya Sabha as its member. Mr Scindia's move, which comes a day after 17 Congress MLAs loyal to him were flown by chartered plane to BJP-ruled Karnataka, has left the Madhya Pradesh government on the brink a dramatic collapse.
Sources within the Madhya Pradesh Raj Bhavan have said 21 Congress MLAs have already submitted letters of resignation. Sources had earlier said that 25 MLAs were ready to resign.
A meeting of the BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) was held at the party headquarters in Delhi today to decide the candidates for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP chief JP Nadda and other members of the CEC.
"We have nothing to do with this. This is Congress' internal matter and I would not like to comment on it. We had said on the first day that we are not interested in bringing down the government," senior BJP leader and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.
The BJP has called its MLAs to Bhopal for a show of strength today evening. Sources said Shivraj Singh Chouhan could be chosen the leader of the legislative party in the meeting.
As of today morning the Kamal Nath government had 120 MLAs - just four over the majority mark of 116 in the 230-member assembly.
Here are the Live Updates on developments in Madhya Pradesh government crisis:
#MadhyaPradesh: Buses carrying Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs reach Bhopal Airport. https://t.co/6wPszkY7Kx pic.twitter.com/aXumIMQMNG
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
National General Secretary of BJP, Kailash Vijayvargiya at Bhopal Airport: Ye shuruwat hai iss prakar Scindia ji ki, ye anya pradeshon mein bhi jayegi. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/6WLFeQgqc6
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
Madhya Pradesh: Buses parked near the party office in Bhopal, begin leaving from the spot. BJP MLAs of the state have boarded the buses. MLA Vijay Shah (pic 4) says, "We are going either to Bengaluru or Delhi." pic.twitter.com/cp36sxMk4p
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath: There is nothing to worry about, we will prove our majority. Our government will complete its term. pic.twitter.com/X2HpYd7F08
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
"What has Congress not given to Jyotiraditya Scindia. He was offered a Rajya Sabha seat. Also the families of the MLAs who have quit are in touch with us. State Chief Minister Kamal Nath will not resign and we will take the floor test," Mr Singh said.
#WATCH Jyotiraditya Scindia arrives at his residence in Delhi; says,"Happy Holi". pic.twitter.com/oXgi8M2rHk
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
Delhi: Meeting of BJP Central Election Committee underway at party headquarters. https://t.co/630jP0aWho pic.twitter.com/0dOCNeeHp7
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at BJP headquarters in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/abPtHYQyzy
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
"Once Amit Shah reaches the BJP headquarters, the entire process to inducting Jyotiraditya Scindia into the party will begin. The Prime Minister likely to come little late and the Central Election Committee meeting will begin," sources to NDTV.
Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari arrive at BJP headquarters. pic.twitter.com/h26SNj8rjQ
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
#MadhyaPradesh: Leader of Opposition in state assembly Gopal Bhargava, Narottam Mishra, and other BJP leaders reach the residence of state assembly Speaker NP Prajapati to submit the resignations of 19 Congress MLAs. pic.twitter.com/voMcoKlxTt
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
Twenty-one Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs including ministers belonging to the Jyotiraditya Scindia camp have resigned so far.
Ministers: Tulsi Silawat, Govind Singh Rajput, Dr Prabhuram Choudhry, Imarti Devi, Pradyumna Singh Tomar and Mahendra Singh Sisodia.
Other MLAs who have resigned: Hardeep Singh Dang, Rajyavardhan Singh, Brajendra Singh Yadav, Jaspal Jajji, Suresh Dhakad, Jaswant Jatav, Santram Sironia, Munnalal Goyal, Ranveer Singh Jatav, OPS Bhadoria, Kamlesh Jatav, Giriraj Dandotiya, Raghuraj Kansana, Aidalsingh Kansana, Biasahulal Singh.
State Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi, a close confidant of Mr Scindia, resigned from the party's primary membership soon after Scindia announced that he was quitting the party.
BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on SP and BSP MLAs meeting him: They have just come here to meet me on the occasion of Holi. There is no politics in it. https://t.co/Fxid4eiBwQ pic.twitter.com/9WgayunLgR
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
Bisahu Lal Sahu: I have resigned from the Congress as well as from the membership of State Assembly. I have joined BJP. Most of the Congress MLAs will resign from the Congress in coming days as they are fed up with the functioning of Kamal Nath govt. https://t.co/lIrXmSRyfV pic.twitter.com/M9515HH5MQ
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
A great #Holi this is!
- Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) March 10, 2020
Heartening to see old colleague, & very dynamic Sri @JM_Scindia having come to the fold of @BJP4India, a party that's a rangoli of all colors & believes in taking everyone along.
We shall have a great time together #JyotiradityaScindia ji.#MadhyaPradesh
Madhya Pradesh Crisis: How The Numbers Stack UpAmazing that those who usually find fault with #Gandhis leading Congress because of their surname are finding a #scindia leaving #INC as big jolt for the party!
- Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) March 10, 2020
Fact is but for his surname even @JM_Scindia has little to show as mass leader, political organiser or administrator.
Whatever may happen in Madhya Pradesh, one thing is clear.
- ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್/ Dinesh Gundu Rao (@dineshgrao) March 10, 2020
It's time for @RahulGandhi to lead from the front.
It's time for him and the senior leaders to make drastic changes at the top.
We can't go on like this anymore.@INCIndia needs him and he needs the party.
Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary, Congress leader in Lok Sabha: So yes it will indeed be a loss to our party and I don't think our Govt in Madhya Pradesh will survive. This is the present-day politics of BJP, always tries to topple and destabilize opposition govts https://t.co/XkiPiEwIjO pic.twitter.com/kM7RSbZihn
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
What Jyotiraditya Scindia Wrote In Letter To Sonia Gandhi. Full TextFormer Union Minister and four-time parliamentarian Jyotiraditya Scindia resigned from the Congress this morning, minutes after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi this morning."
Jyotiraditya Scindia's office staff leaves after handing over a hard copy of his resignation at Congress President Sonia Gandhi's residence https://t.co/NpsGIvfmJR pic.twitter.com/hO2WhjZGov
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
- Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) March 10, 2020
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh: We have evidence that three chartered plane (which reportedly flew Congress MLAs to Bengaluru) were arranged by the BJP. This is part of a conspiracy to reverse the mandate of people of Madhya Pradesh because Kamal Nath has acted against mafias. pic.twitter.com/zafZ7y2oDh
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
Delhi: Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal arrives at 10 Janpath to meet party president Sonia Gandhi pic.twitter.com/KHs03qCJUb
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
#Watch | Jyotiraditya Scindia meets PM Modi, 20 Congress MLAs prep exit in #MadhyaPradesh.#MadhyaPradeshCrisis
- NDTV (@ndtv) March 10, 2020
Read here: https://t.co/PsmveZyfzd pic.twitter.com/Fhp6DcuhPY
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, former #MadhyaPradesh CM: This is Congress' internal matter and I would not like to comment on it. We had said on the first day that we are not interested in bringing down the government. pic.twitter.com/zZUjU2Qc2V
- ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2020
