MASSIVE: Kamal Nath resigns as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister before floor-test; slams BJP

Amid the Madhya Pradesh political crisis, Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Friday announced his resignation as the CM of the state ahead of the floor test in the state Assembly. During his speech, Kamal Nath slammed the BJP for keeping Congress MLAs as hostages. His resignation comes after the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered floor test for Madhya Pradesh assembly to take place on March 20. Earlier on Thursday, Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker NP Prajapati said he has accepted the resignation of 16 rebel Congress MLAs, leading to a likely collapse of the nearly 15-month old Kamal Nath government. 

He will go to the Governor's residence and formally tender his resignation. 

Addressing the press conference on Friday, Kamal Nath said, "The public had given a chance of five years so that the state could be brought to the right path. Become its new identity. .What was my fault all this while? In my entire political career, I have always believed in development. Compare Madhya Pradesh with big states. BJP got 15 years and I got 15 months. In these 15 months, the people of the state have witnessed that the work done by me did not go well with the BJP. You know that when the government was formed, the BJP has always been conspiring against me all the while."

Kamal Nath slams BJP

Further, he said, "Every 15 days, a BJP leader would make a remark, saying this government is here only for a few months and won't last long. They also held hostage our 22 MLAs in Karnataka. They have spent crores of rupees by luring our 22 MLAs to the BJP camp. The BJP has planned this to kill democracy. The people of Madhya Pradesh will never forgive them. BJP had 15 years to improve Madhya Pradesh. I got 15 months. There have been no scam and corruption accusations against the Congress government in 15 months. The people will give us a character certificate, we don't want it from the BJP."

Lastly, Kamal Nath said, "The public will not forgive greed and rebels who cheat the state. Many times we have proved a majority in the assembly. I have been betrayed. The people of Madhya Pradesh have been betrayed. People will not forgive those who went against their wishes. This breach of trust was against the people of Madhya Pradesh, not against me. BJP did not want the mafias in MP to be exposed. I always stood by my values in my stint in politics. I have decided to tender my resignation to the Governor today. In the last 15 months, our government has done a lot for the farmers. The treachery is not done with me but 7.5 crore people. The BJP has betrayed the public mandate." he added.

On the eve of Kamal Nath's resignation, the Madhya Pradesh Speaker had accepted the resignations of 16 remaining Congress MLAs, taking the half-way mark in the assembly to 103. The BJP has paraded 106 MLAs before the Governor, and alleged that the Congress has only 90.

READ | MASSIVE: Supreme Court Orders Floor-test In Madhya Pradesh Tomorrow, By Show Of Hands

READ | Madhya Pradesh Crisis: Floor-test To Take Place At 2 Pm, Say Sources