Published 19:00 IST, March 14th 2020
In last-ditch effort, Intelligence Officers sent to woo MP MLAs back to Congress: Sources
According to sources, 2 intelligence officers attached with the state govt have been sent to Bengaluru to help Congress communicate with the miffed MLAs
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In a last-ditch effort by the Congress-led Madhya Pradesh government, sources tell Republic that two intelligence officers attached with the state government have been sent to Bengaluru. This after the Congress has repeatedly failed in establishing contact with the 19 MLAs who are holed up in a luxury resort in the outskirts of Bengaluru for 10 days now.
Several senior leaders have reportedly been trying to call the legislators in Bengaluru who have espoused their loyalty to Jyotiraditya Scindia. The mobile phones of all of them have been switched for the most part of their stay in the city and with BJP government in power in Karnataka, heavy security too has been provided making it near impossible for the Congress to reach out to the MLAs
Intelligence officers sent from MP
In the view of this, the Congress, in a desperate attempt to save their government has, according to sources, sent intelligence officers from MP to try and breach the security at the upscale resort and help Congress communicate with the miffed MLAs.
Instructions were reportedly given to the officers to discretely enter the resort, establish communication with the MLAs and get them in touch with senior leadership so that they can be convinced to stay in the Congress fold and vote to save the Kamal Nath government on the floor of the house.
Republic had reported how several MP Congress leaders including Digvijaya Singh had sought the help of DK Shivakumar, known as the party's man Friday when it comes to resort politics. But he responded in negative, saying he was contacted too late and also that with BJP in power in Karnataka, it would be difficult to breach security.
On Friday, two ministers from MP, Jitu Patwari and Balaram Choudhary, flanked by DK Shivakumar, Krishna Byregowda and other Congress leaders along with father of one of the MLAs Manoj Choudhary, Narayan Choudhary, met ADGP Amar Kumar Pandey and submitted a letter seeking the police 'help in 'rescuing' the MLAs.
On Saturday, BJP met the MP governor and demanded that floor test be conducted on March 16th. The governor soon after, met with the chief secretary, DG&IGP and home secretary of MP Government to seek a report form them.
The MLAs in Bengaluru resort, according to sources, are planning to fly back on 16th early morning in two chartered flights if the floor test is to be conducted on that day.
19:00 IST, March 14th 2020