Published 01:37 IST, March 5th 2020
Madhya Pradesh political crisis shifts to Bengaluru, MLAs huddled in luxury hotels
After the MLAs from Madhya Pradesh were taken to Bengaluru, top sources on Wednesday told Republic TV that the MLAs are allegedly huddled in luxury hotels
In a major development in the the recent allegations of the ruling-Congress party of BJP trying to poach MLAs in Madhya Pradesh, top sources on Wednesday told Republic TV that the MLAs who were taken to Bengaluru are allegedly huddled in luxury hotels. As per sources, four MLAs from Madhya Pradesh are allegedly kept in a luxury gated community near Whitefield. Further, three Congress MLAs and one Independent MLA are kept in Prestige Palm Meadows.
Along with it, sources stated that BSY's son Vijayendra has been given the responsibility of safekeeping the MP MLAs. As per sources, 14 MLAs are unhappy with the Kamal Nath government. There is a possibility that some more MLAs might arrive in Bengaluru on Thursday. Meanwhile, a BSP MLA has allegedly refused to rebel against the Madhya Pradesh government and may return to Bhopal.
BJP-Congress trade barbs
On Monday, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh accused BJP of luring Congress MLAs by offering them Rs. 25-45 crore each. Thereafter, he warned the opposition that the Karnataka model would not be successful in Madhya Pradesh. After reports emerged that some MLAs were holed up in the Gurugram hotel, Singh asserted on Wednesday that the situation was under control. Additionally, Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Minister Jitu Patwari alleged that former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan was the mastermind of the alleged horse-trading operation.
Eight MLAs taken to Gurugram hotel
In a big political development in Madhya Pradesh, the ruling Congress had alleged that eight MLAs, four from the Congress and four independents who are supporting the government, have been forcefully kept at a hotel in Gurugram by a powerful former Madhya Pradesh BJP minister.
According to Patwari, senior BJP leaders including former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, former ministers Narottam Mishra, Bhupendra Singh and Rampal Singh among others have taken the leaders forcibly. Further, according to the Congress sources, woman BSP MLA Rambai, who is one of the eight MLAs taken to the hotel, was allegedly manhandled when Congress ministers reached the hotel to meet her.
In the 2018 elections, Congress won 114 seats in the 230-member Assembly and formed the government with the help of four independent MLAs, two BSP MLAs, and a Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator. The BJP had won 109 seats in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly.
Updated 01:37 IST, March 5th 2020