Published 21:32 IST, March 23rd 2020
Shivraj Chouhan takes oath 4th time as Madhya Pradesh CM; Kamal Nath attends ceremony
With the fall of the Kamal Nath government, BJP MP chief Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Monday, took oath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for 4th time
With the fall of the Kamal Nath government, BJP MP chief Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Monday, took oath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh at Raj Bhavan for the fourth time. The ceremony was attended by all MLAs and former CM Kamal Nath too. Chouhan had ruled Madhya Pradesh as CM from 2005 to 2018 - for three consecutive terms.
Shivraj Chouhan takes oath as CM again
Shivraj Chouhan: 'Only goal to stop Corona'
Prior to taking oath, he was elected as the BJP legislative chief in the meeting where all BJP MLAs were seen celebrating, garlanding Chouhan, hugging him, feeding sweets and raising joined hands - displaying their party strength. Chouhan said that his only goal was to stop coronavirus. Denying any ceremony to be held for his formal oath-taking, Chouhan urged BJP supporters not to take to the streets and celebrate.
Madhya Pradesh political crisis
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 flew to Bengaluru and submitted their resignations. While Congress expelled the six cabinet ministers and the Speaker accepted their resignations, the biggest jolt occurred when former Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia formally submitted his resignation to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi and then joined the BJP.
While the BJP had been demanding a floor test, the Congress adjourned the Assembly till March 26 amid Coronavirus. After both parties approached the Supreme Court, the observed that the MP Assembly session should be reconvened on Friday for the sole purpose of holding a floor test by show of hands, while hearing a plea of BJP leaders seeking an immediate floor test. This was immediately followed by the Speaker accepting the remaining 16 MLAs' resignation, officially reducing Congress to a minority government.
Soon after that, on March 20 - the day of the floor test, Kamal Nath stepped down as CM, alleging BJP’s involvement in the 22 MLAs deserting the Congress camp which ultimately reduced the government to a minority. A day after all the 22 rebel Congress MLAs joined BJP in the presence of party president JP Nadda and Jyotiraditya Scindia. With the loss of 22 MLAs, Congress which held 114 MLAs - has now been reduced to 92 while BJP holds 107 MLAs of its own. Overall the halfway mark has now been reduced to 103 - which can be surpassed by BJP alone.
Updated 21:32 IST, March 23rd 2020