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:
"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.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister & BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Congress' allegations that BJP is trying to buy Congress MLAs in MP: Hum aisi kisi bhi gatividhi mein shaamil nahi hain, lekin apne bojh se agar kuch hota hai toh vo jaane. https://t.co/UX93GgEdkC
- ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2020
Congress party has called an urgent meeting with all Lok Sabha MPs led by party leader Rahul Gandhi over the issues of Delhi violence, vandalisation at office of Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and political situation in Madhya Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/BOyXEmd1Ml
- ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2020
Madhya Pradesh Minister Jitu Patwari: 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. https://t.co/izidXARRvR
- ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2020
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh in Delhi on being asked if there was any danger to the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh: There is no danger. We all are united. pic.twitter.com/V3cdsJCWcB
- ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2020