Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister resigned today, hours before a floor test to prove his majority in the state assembly as per Supreme Court's Thursday order. The Congress government in the state had plunged into crisis after exit of 22 MLAs followed by former union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia's high profile crossover from the Congress to the BJP.
This comes after the Supreme Court gave a 5 pm deadline for the floor test, responding to a petition by the BJP. Ordering the session to be reconvened on Friday, the court said, "There will be only one agenda - whether the government enjoys strength. The state of uncertainty in Madhya Pradesh should be effectively resolved by a floor test".
Last night, making the collapse of the government in Madhya Pradesh all but certain, state assembly speaker Narmada Prasad Prajapati accepted the resignations of the remaining 16 rebel Congress MLAs who have been in Bengaluru since March 9. Resignation of six rebel MLAs was accepted last week.
The acceptance of the resignations brought down the total strength of the assembly to 206 where the ruling Congress with 92 members and seven allied MLAs is now at least five short of a simple majority of 104. The opposition BJP with 107 MLAs is three more than the simple majority.
Here are the Highlights on Madhya Pradesh government crisis:
The development comes soon after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath tendered his resignation just hours ahead of the scheduled floor test.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said democracy was blatantly killed in Madhya Pradesh with the fall of the Kamal Nath-led state government there.
He said dismantling a democratically elected government for lust of power has become a habit of the BJP.
#MadhyaPradesh: Sweets being distributed at BJP office in Bhopal. BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Gopal Bhargava and other leaders present. https://t.co/NU0xrKnR2B pic.twitter.com/oNetQMVrRb
- ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2020
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP: If a govt topples due to their own internal conflict then we can't do anything. You can see that we were not in the game to form or topple a govt. They (Congress) should do some self introspection that what gave rise to such situation. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/cZ2tRtqTuf
- ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2020
"In Madhya Pradesh, this is a win for people. I have always believed that politics should be a platform for public service... but the state government was misled in its approach. Truth has won once again... Satyameva Jayate," tweets BJP's Jyotiradiyta Scindia
मै प्रदेश की जनता का धन्यवाद व आभार मानता हूँ , जिन्होंने इन 15 माह में मुझे पूर्ण सहयोग प्रदान किया।
- Office Of Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath) March 20, 2020
आपके प्रेम -स्नेह - सहयोग की बदौलत ही मेरी सरकार ने इन 15 माह में प्रदेश की तस्वीर बदलने का कार्य किया है।
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Madhya Pradesh: #KamalNath arrives at Raj Bhavan in Bhopal. He has resigned as the CM, ahead of the floor test in the state assembly which was to be held today. pic.twitter.com/ZDoDjGjfxk
- ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2020
WATCH | "Nation is watching how our 22 MLAs have been held hostage by the BJP," says Kamal Nath ahead of trust vote in #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/qmFW3v2Xc4
- NDTV (@ndtv) March 20, 2020
- In 15 month, I have tried to give a new direction to the state
- In my forty years of politics I believed in development
- BJP had 15 years, I had 15 months
- I proved my majority three times
- By destabilising my government, it's a betrayal of seven and a half crore population of the state
Bhopal: Congress legislative party meeting to be held today at the residence of #MadhyaPradesh CM Kamal Nath at 11 AM. #FloorTest will be held at the state assembly today, as per Supreme Court's order. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/kRtptjzWSO
- ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2020
Digvijaya Singh, Congress when asked if #MadhyaPradesh CM Kamal Nath is resigning: Chief Minister is holding a press conference, wait for it. pic.twitter.com/Wq64ProFrM
- ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2020
