Horse-trading allegations against Shivraj is grave insult of public representative, says Gopal Bhargava

BJP leader Gopal Bhargava said that allegations of horse-trading on former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan by the Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is the "biggest insult of an elected representative in a democracy".

Digvijaya Singh has alleged that Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Narottam Mishra are offering bribes of Rs 25-35 crore to Congress MLAs in order to bring down Chief Minister Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh.

"There can't be any bigger insult of an elected representative in a democracy, I condemn this. Our party is intact... There are several groups in the Congress party itself," Bhargava said here.

Speaking to ANI, he added, "Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia have their own groups, and then there are sub-groups also."

BJP leader Lokendra Parashar said, "Such statement has come from Digvijaya Singh because there are internal issues of Congress. It is being said that Kamal Nath wants to send Scindia to Rajya Sabha and Digvijaya is giving such statement to build pressure on Kamal Nath."

Another BJP leader Rajneesh Agarwal said, "Digvijaya Singh wants to go to Rajya Sabha and hence he is doing all these things."

Digvijaya Singh had earlier today said, "Ever since Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has become the opposition party in Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Narottam Mishra and all those who looted the state for 15 years, they are not ready to sit in the Opposition and are openly offering bribes of Rs 25-35 crores to Congress MLAs."

"They are offering Congress MLAs to take Rs 5 crore now, the second instalment in Rajya Sabha and the third instalment when they help to bring down the government in the no-confidence motion," he added.

Singh said that the MLAs who were contacted by BJP leaders have informed the party leadership about it. The Congress leader continued: "I want to tell them. This is not Karnataka. Congress MLAs in Madhya Pradesh cannot be purchased. Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Narottam Mishra are making calls to Congress MLAs. This will not be tolerated."

Singh claimed that there was a dispute between Chouhan and Mishra over the chief ministerial post.

"Now, they have come to a solution that one will be CM and the other will be deputy CM," he said.

Singh also said that the BJP-led central government was harassing the Congress governments in the states through raids by Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate and CBI.

In 2018 Assembly results, Congress, which won 114 seats in the 230-member Assembly formed the government with the support of four Independent MLAs and two BSP MLAs and a legislator from the Samajwadi Party (SP). The BJP has 109 seats in the state Assembly.