The 15-month-old Congress government led by Kamal Nath has a wafer-thin majority.
In a major development in Madhya Pradesh late last night, state ministers Jaivardhan Singh and Jeetu Patwari were seen leaving from a hotel in Gurugram with a BSP MLA, a day after ruling Congress alleged that eight MLAs have been forcefully kept at the hotel by the ruling BJP.
The Congress has alleged that eight MLAs, four from the Congress and four independents who are supporting the government, have been taken to the hotel in Haryana as part of a conspiracy to topple the state government. While four of the MLAs have left the hotel, four others remain inside.
"One of our MLAs and former minister Bisahulal Singh rang us and informed us that they have been forcefully kept at the ITC Maratha Hotel in Gurugram and not being allowed to go out. Our two ministers, Jaivardhan Singh and Jeetu Patwari, who went to the concerned hotel in Gurugram to meet the eight MLAs after getting the phone call from one of the legislators, are not being allowed entry in the hotel," Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Tarun Bhanot told NDTV.
The Congress has strength of 114, BJP 107. Of the remaining nine seats, two are with the BSP while the SP has one MLA in the MP Assembly. There are four independents in the Vidhan Sabha.
Here are the updates on the story:
Over Half Of Congress MLAs Taken Hostage By BJP Freed: Congress Leader Shobha OzaCongress leader Shobha Oza on Wednesday said that more than half of the 8 party MLAs, who were allegedly taken hostage by Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) have been freed.
Talking to ANI, she said, "BJP had held hostage our 8 MLAs in ITC Resort in Gurugram's Manesar. More than half of them are released now. BJP took a few of them to Bengaluru. We will ensure their release too."
"From Day one, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath challenged the BJP to show their strength through a floor test. But they did not dare to do so. Now, they are resorting to horse-trading in order to bring down the government," she added.
The remark came after allegations were leveled against the BJP for reportedly holding at least eight Madhya Pradesh MLAs against their will at a Gurugram hotel, news agency ANI reported.
UP Deputy Chief Minister Refutes Allegations Of Congress On Horse-Trading In Madhya PradeshUttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Wednesday refuted allegations of Congress regarding horse-trading of MLAs in Madhya Pradesh and said the BJP doesn't indulge in such politics.
"We believe in the democratic process and don't indulge in this kind of politics. BJP always thinks about the interests of people," Keshav Prasad Maurya told ANI.
"Congress leaders are themselves confused. While former CM of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh is accusing BJP of giving Rs. 5 to 10 crore to Congress MLAs, his own party leader PL Punia is saying that we are offering Rs 25 crore to each of them," he said.
The remarks came after allegations were levelled against the BJP for reportedly holding Madhya Pradesh MLAs against their will at a Gurugram hotel, news agency ANI reported.
It Is An Old Practice Of BJP: Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia
"It is an old practice of BJP, but they will not succeed, we all are together. There is no danger to the Madhya Pradesh Government," said Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia to ANI on Congress allegation that BJP trying to buy Congress MLAs.
BJP Doing ''Poaching Politics'' In Madhya Pradesh, Says Adhir Ranjan ChowdhuryCongress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday accused the BJP of resorting to "poaching politics" in order to bring down the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh.
"BJP is putting all its force to bring down the Congress government. They are doing poaching politics. They are luring, threatening our MLAs," he said while speaking to ANI in New Delhi.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan responded to Congress' allegations that BJP is trying to buy Congress MLAs in MP, says, "We are not involved in any kind of activity."
Unprincipled Kamal Nath Government Was Bound To Face Trouble Keeping His Flock Together: Gopal BhargavaLeader of Opposition and BJP leader Gopal Bhargava on Wednesday said that the Kamal Nath government was bound to face trouble keeping his flock together as he had formed the government by cobbling up numbers.
"The governments, which are not formed on principles, meet this fate. They had formed the government by cobbling up numbers. The Kamal Nath government is not running on the basis on principle, programmes, policy and ideology but by managing numbers," Gopal Bhargava told reporters in Bhopal.
Denying any horsetrading allegations, being levelled by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, he said, "Digvijay Singh is known for making such non-serious comments".
The comments from Gopal Bhargava come in the wake of allegations against the BJP that it was reportedly holding at least eight Madhya Pradesh MLAs against their will at a Gurugram hotel, news agency ANI reported.
"Shivraj Singh Chouhan Is The Mastermind Behind All This: Madhya Pradesh Minister Jitu Patwari"BJP lok tantra ki hatya karna chahti hai (BJP wants to destroy the democracy). Modi ji talks about a different kind of politics, this is the kind of politics he wants to do. Rs. 50-60 crores are being offered to our MPs. Some of our MPs are in Bengaluru, but they are with us," said Congress' Madhya Pradesh MLA Jitu Patwari.
He further accused Shivraj Singh Chouhan of being the "mastermind" behind the on-going political crisis in the state.
"Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the mastermind behind all this; several videos & audios are viral now which reveal his role in everything that is happening. Madhya Pradesh ki sarkar ko koi khatra nahi hai (Madhya Pradesh's government is not facing any danger," Jitu Patwari said.
Party-wise strength in Madhya Pradesh assembly
The Madhya Pradesh assembly has 228 members currently. Two seats were vacated after death of Congress-BJP MLAs.
The Congress has strength of 114, and the BJP, 107.
Of the remaining nine seats, two are with the BSP while the SP has one MLA in the MP Assembly.
There are four independents in the Vidhan Sabha.
Two Independent Mlas and one Congress MLA are being taken Chikmagalur, Karnataka, sources told NDTV.
Ramabai, a suspended MLA from Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), has managed to leave the hotel. Madhya Pradesh ministers and Congress leaders Jitu Patwari and Jaivardhan Singh were seen coming out of the ITC hotel in Gurgaon's Manesar along with Ms Ramabai.
The opposition BJP dismissed the claim made by Digvijaya Singh. The BJP claimed that Madhya Pradesh's former chief minister statement was aimed at ensuring his re-nomination for the Rajya Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh scheduled on March 26.
In the 231-member Madhya Pradesh assembly, the Congress has a strength of 114 MLAs and the BJP has 107. Of the remaining nine seats, two are with the BSP while the Samajwadi Party has one MLA. There are four independents in the assembly.
Congress MLAs called up and informed that "they have been forcefully kept at hotel": Minister
Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Tarun Bhanot told NDTV late last night that Congress MLA called them up and informed them that "they have been forcefully kept at the ITC Maratha Hotel in Gurugram and not being allowed to go out".
"Our two ministers, Jaivardhan Singh and Jeetu Patwari, who went to the concerned hotel in Gurugram to meet the eight MLAs after getting the phone call from one of the legislators, are not being allowed entry in the hotel," Mr Bhanot said.
4 MLAs held against their will: Digvijaya Singh
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh says four MLAs are still inside.
"When we got to know, Jitu Patwari and Jaivardhan Singh (ministers) went there. People with whom our contact was established were ready to come back to us. We were able to get in touch with Bisahulal Singh and Ramabai. Ramabai came back, even when the BJP tried to stop her," Mr Singh told news agency ANI.
"The BJP's Rampal Singh, Narottam Mishra, Arvind Bhadauria, Sanjay Pathak were going to give them money. Had there been a raid, they would have been caught... We think 10 to 11 MLAs were there, only four are still with them now, they will also come back to us," he added.
The 15-month-old Congress government in Madhya Pradesh led by Kamal Nath, which has a wafer-thin majority, has been pushed to the brink with a group of MLAs camping at a star hotel in Gurgaon near Delhi. In overnight drama, senior Congress leaders were seen bringing out one member with her bags.