Published 18:01 IST, August 23rd 2020
Scindia announces '5000 Congress netas joining BJP'; says 'I am not greedy for any post'
In a major jolt to Congress in Madhya Pradesh, 5000 Congress leaders from Gwalior's Morena have joined BJP on Sunday, said Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia
In a major jolt to Congress in Madhya Pradesh, 5000 Congress leaders from Gwalior's Morena have joined BJP on Sunday, announced Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia. Addressing a membership event in Gwalior's Chambal, Scindia lashed out at Kamal Nath for his alleged corruption, saying that he and the 22 rebels who joined BJp leading to Nath's govt to collapse were not greedy for posts. He justified saying 'I would have become Deputy CM when it was offered', reiterating his wish to 'fight on the road'. Madhya Pradesh is set to go to bypolls in September 2020.
Scindia: '5000 Congress netas join BJP'
Adding to Scindia's jibe, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Chouhan said, "BJP's president changes in three years ... in MP MP Kamal Nath, Chief Minister Kamal Nath, Leader of Opposition Kamal Nath, youth leader Nakul Nath and the rest of the Congress is an orphan".
Madhya Pradesh crisis & bypolls
The crisis in the Kamal Nath government started when Congress alleged BJP of poaching 4 MLAs - two of which returned to Kamal Nath's folds. Soon, 22 MLAs including 6 cabinet ministers - loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia - quit the party, reducing the Congress to a minority government with 92 MLAs. Following this, Scindia resigned from Congress and then joined the BJP. After Nath stepped down as CM and the Madhya Pradesh Speaker accepted all 22 MLAs' resignation, all of them promptly joined BJP. Three more Congress MLAs have joined BJP since then - vacating 27 seats in the Assembly.
Scindia's rebellion paid off with 12 rebel MLAs being given cabinet portfolios in July's cabinet expansion. Apart from these 12, two rebel MLAs -Tulsi Silawat and Govind Singh Rajput had already been sworn in shortly after CM Shivraj Chouhan took oath, while Scindia himself has been elected to the Rajya Sabha. In the upcoming bypolls, all 14 ministers shall be in the poll fray. To remain in power with a majority on its own, BJP requires to win 9 seats in the upcoming bypolls. However, BJP faces no danger in MP even if it wins only three seats as they have the support of two BSP, one SP, and three Independent legislators.
Updated 18:01 IST, August 23rd 2020