'Is there any democracy left?': Ashok Gehlot accuses BJP of horse-trading

Amid the ongoing crisis in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday accused the BJP of political horse-trading and said that that the Madhya Pradesh MLAs, belonging to the Congress party, have been forcibly kept in Bengaluru and are not allowed to meet anyone. The 15-month-old Kamal Nath-led government has been facing a deep crisis following the resignation of 22 Congress MLAs after former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the party on Tuesday.

Speaking to ANI, Gehlot lashed out at BJP for using similar tactics as they did in Karnataka and alleged that the MLAs have been held hostage in Bengaluru

"Horse trading is being carried out shamelessly. Is there any democracy left? They (BJP) started horse-trading from Karnataka then in Madhya Pradesh," Gehlot said 

"MLAs have been held hostage in Bengaluru and they are not allowed to meet anyone. An MLA's father who came to meet was also not allowed, everything is happening before the media," he added.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Friday held a discussion with Governor Lalji Tandon amid the political turmoil, created by the resignation of Congress heavyweight leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and 22 legislators.

READ: MP Speaker accepts resignation of 6 pro-Scindia ministers; Congress tally dwindles to 108

Meanwhile, The BJP in Madhya Pradesh will seek a floor test on March 16 in the wake of 22 Congress MLAs resigning the state, a senior BJP leader said on Thursday.

READ: Congress issues whip ahead of MP Assembly session

Madhya Pradesh political crisis

The crisis in the Kamal Nath government started when Congress alleged BJP of poaching 4 MLAs — Surendra Singh Shera, Bisahulal Singh, Hardeep Singh Dang, and Raghuraj Kansana — when they were flown to Bengaluru. While two of them have returned to Kamal Nath's folds, 18 MLAs including six cabinet ministers loyal to Scindia flew to Bengaluru on Monday. Though Kamal Nath dissolved his cabinet, making 20 ministers resign on Monday night at an apparent cabinet rejig attempt, it failed and all six rebel cabinet ministers have been expelled.

In a major jolt to the Chief Minister, the former Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia formally submitted his resignation to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, after all talks of mediation failed. He then formally joined the BJP after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter's residence along with former BJP party chief Amit Shah and has since then slammed the Congress saying 'it was not the same anymore'. He has been fielded by the BJP for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.

READ: BIG: CM Kamal Nath seeks Home Minister Amit Shah's intervention in MP political crisis

READ: Session to be held as per schedule: MP Assembly Speaker