22 Congress MLAs had resigned earlier this week (File)
The Madhya Pradesh assembly speaker, Narmada Prasad Prajapati, on Saturday accepted resignations of the six ministers who, along with 16 other Congress MLAs, have endangered the Kamal Nath government by resigning en masse last week. The move came after the rebel leaders, who are reportedly huddled together in Bengaluru, failed to appear in person before the Speaker.
The decision has brought down the majority mark in the house to 113, just two less than the number of MLAs supporting the Congress.
The ministers - Govind Singh Rajput, Mahendra Singh Sisodiya, Prabhuram Chaudhary, Pradumn Tomar, Tulsi Ram Silawat and Imarti Devi - were sacked by the Governor from their cabinet posts at the Congress government's instance earlier this week.
"Since the information about these resignations wasn't rendered to me in person, hence as per Rule 276 (1-B) of the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha (assembly) Procedure and Business Conduct Rules, the concerned members were asked to appear before me in my Vidhan Sabha office to establish that they had actually resigned as legislators on their own," Mr Prajapati told NDTV.
"They were first given time to appear before me between 3.30 pm and 6 pm on Friday, but they failed to appear during that time frame, after which they were given another opportunity to appear before me in my office between 12.15 pm and 2.45 pm on Saturday. But they again failed to turn up," he added.
After the acceptance of their resignations, the effective strength of the 230-member Assembly has shrunk to 222 (two seats were already vacant due the death of two MLAs). The Congress has 108 MLAs in the House, and the support of seven allied legislators. If the resignations of the remaining rebel 16 MLAs are accepted, the Congress's strength will come way below the majority mark, and the BJP, with 107 MLAs, will become the largest party in the state.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is billed as the BJP's chief ministerial candidate if the party forms government in Madhya Pradesh, has demanded that Chief Minister Kamal Nath must prove his majority in a floor test before the state's budget session begins.
"22 MLAs have quit, and they have repeatedly stated that they have resigned. The Kamal Nath government is in minority, and they have lost the requisite strength needed. They have no constitutional right to be power. We have asked for a floor test; the government should prove its numbers before Budget Session, before the Governor's address," he said.
"Cases are being filed, people are being threatened, and incentives are being offered. In such circumstances, floor test is important," he added.