MP politics LIVE: We came to Bengaluru voluntarily, say Congress rebel MLAs

Madhya Pradesh floor test: The Congress-led government has been pushed to the brink following the resignation of 22 MLAs. Stay tuned for MP political crisis LIVE updates at Business Standard

11:00 AM

Supreme Court begins hearing the petition filed by former Madhya Pradesh CM & BJP leader, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and others to hold floor test in the State Assembly.

8:01 AM

Kamal Nath, Lalji Tandon in war of letters over MP political crisis

In the age of e-mail, two constitutional functionaries of Madhya Pradesh — Chief Minister Kamal Nath and governor Lalji Tandon (pictured) — are probably trying to revive the lost era of letter writing. In the last one week itself, both have written several letters to one another. On Monday, Tandon wrote to Nath, asking him to hold a floor test on Tuesday and stating that failure to do so would mean the chief minister did not enjoy a majority in the Assembly. On Tuesday, Nath replied:
 

“Keeping into account all facts, I have forwarded your direction to me to the Assembly Speaker for an appropriate action.” He also marked a copy of this letter to the Speaker, N P Prajapati. Before this exchange, Nath had shot off a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “Please use your power as the Union Home Minister so that Congress MLAs held captive can safely reach Madhya Pradesh and participate in the Assembly session without any allurement and fear,” he said. READ ON...

3:10 PM

Mukul Rohatgi says Congress wants rebel MLAs to go to Bhopal so that they can be lured and it can do horse trading

2:49 PM

MP Cong in SC seeks deferment of trust vote till by-polls, says heavens won't fall if govt continues

Madhya Pradesh Congress Party sought in the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the trust vote in the state assembly be deferred till by-polls for the vacant seats are concluded, saying "heavens are not going to fall" if its government led by Kamal Nath is allowed to remain in office till then.

 

A bench, comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta, was hearing cross petitions filed by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan and MP Congress on the ongoing political crisis in the state after 22 rebel MLAs of the ruling combine purportedly offered to resign.

 

"Heavens are not going to fall if Congress government is allowed to continue till by-polls and the Shivraj Singh Chouhan's government must not be saddled on the people," said senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Congress.

2:44 PM

We came to Bengaluru voluntarily, say Congress rebel MLAs

Rebel Congress MLAs from Madhya Pradesh who are staying at a resort in Bengaluru, on Wednesday said they went there voluntarily.

 

Issuing video messages, the rebels said they didn't want to meet senior party leader Digvijay Singh who was briefly detained near the resort this morning.

 

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and other leaders of the Congress have been claiming that the rebel MLAs were being held in captivity by BJP. READ ON...

1:03 PM

A Congress delegation to meet Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon today at 1.45 PM

12:55 PM

Probe needed on resignation letters of rebel MLAs submitted to Speaker: MP Congress tells SC

The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that a probe is needed on the resignation letters of its rebel MLAs submitted by BJP leaders to the Speaker of the state Assembly.

 

The Congress Party alleged before a bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta that resignations of its rebel MLAs in Madhya Pradesh were extracted by force and coercion and they did not act as per their free will. READ ON...

12:42 PM

Kailash Vijayvargiya takes dig at Digvijaya

BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya has taken a dig at senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh who tried to meet rebel Congress MLAs lodged at a resort in Bengaluru on Wednesday morning leading to dramatic scenes at the resort with police dragging him away and taking him into preventive detention.

 

Vijayavargiya tweeted: "Drama in Bengaluru. We are blessed that this man is in politics. He would have proved to be a better actor than Amitabh Bachchan if he were in bollywood," referring to Digvijaya Singh who reached Bengaluru on Wednesday morning tried to enter into a five star hotel where rebel Congress MLAs are putting up.

11:56 AM

Today we're in a peculiar situation. Public of MP trusted Congress, says advocate representing MP Congress MLAs

Petition in SC by BJP's SS Chouhan, and others to hold floor test in MP Assembly: Advocate Dushyant Dave, representing MP Congress MLAs, argued before SC 'today we're in a peculiar situation. Public of MP trusted Congress. The single largest party had won vote of confidence that day'

11:41 AM

9:01 AM

If Shivraj has majority, then why he is so worried: Digvijaya Singh

If Shivraj Singh Chouhan has the majority, then why he is so worried, asked Madhya Pradesh former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday.

 

"Why is he so worried if he has the majority? Shivraj is in a hurry to be in power," Singh told reporters here when asked about Chouhan meeting Governor Lalji Tandon. READ ON...

8:58 AM

SC to hear today plea of BJP leaders seeking urgent floor test in Madhya Pradesh

The Supreme Court will on Wednesday hear the petition filed by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and others seeking a floor test in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly amidst the ongoing political crisis in the state.

 

On Tuesday, the top court while hearing the petition, had issued notices to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and Assembly Speaker NP Prajapati among others. READ ON...

8:36 AM

BJP govt in state is misusing the power in Karnataka: DK Shivakumar

DK Shivakumar, Karnataka Congress president: BJP govt in state is misusing the power. We have our own political strategy, we know how to handle the situation. He's not alone here. I'm here. I know how to support him. But I don't want to create a law & order situation in Karnataka.

7:10 AM

My MLAs have been kept in Bengaluru hotel and their phones have been snatched, says Digvijaya Singh

Digvijaya Singh, Congress: I'm a Rajya Sabha candidate from Madhya Pradesh, voting is scheduled for 26 March. My MLAs have been kept here, they want to speak to me, their phones have been snatched, police is not letting me speak to them saying there is a security threat to MLAs. 

7:08 AM

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh sits on dharna near Ramada hotel in Bengaluru, allegedly after he was not allowed by police to visit it

 

Bengaluru: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh sits on dharna near Ramada hotel, allegedly after he was not allowed by police to visit it. 21 Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs are lodged at the hotel. 

6:49 AM

Regarding the missing MLAs, Tandon said they have been constantly writing to him and the Speaker but in none of their letters have they mentioned where they are at present. They have not mentioned any problems on their own, he added.

 

"Their letters and videos are also constantly getting highlighted in newspapers, electronic and social media and now they have also reached the Supreme Court," Tandon said.

 

"In the last paragraph of your letter, you have demanded security for the MLAs. It is the duty of the executive to ensure the security of each and every citizen of the state and I am sure, you also wanted the same from it only, but, it appears that you have erroneously sent it to me," the governor wrote.

 

Tandon also requested the Speaker to send a copy of the rules of the House regarding some questions and their answers that the latter had sought on the issue

6:48 AM

Governor Lalji Tandon's letter to Assembly Speaker N P Prajapati

"I can appreciate your concern for the security of the missing MLAs in view of their absence from the House as mentioned in your letter dated March 17, 2020. I can also guess the kind of pain you are undergoing since last 8-10 days in view of the above," Tandon wrote, referring to a letter sent to him by the Speaker.

 

"Although there is no mention of efforts made by you to know about these members, I believe that you must have taken adequate efforts for it," he said.

 

"As far as accepting resignation of honourable members is concerned, I can praise your impartial and courageous decision to accept the resignation of six out of 22 members very soon. As the Speaker, you must be well aware of the legal procedure to accept the resignation of any member or what action needed to be taken when the members are absent without any information despite knowing about the session," the governor wrote.

 

"However, I can also feel your dilemma in disposing of these MLAs' resignation," he added.

6:46 AM

I praise your impartial, courageous decision to accept resignations of 6 ministers: MP guv to Speaker

Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon sent a letter to Assembly Speaker N P Prajapati in the early hours of Wednesday, praising him for taking an "impartial and courageous" decision in accepting the resignations of six ministers.

 

After former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the Congress, 22 MLAs of the ruling party, also submitted their resignations, pushing the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government to the brink of collapse. Of these, the speaker has accepted resignations of six MLAs.

6:43 AM

7:03 PM

Congress MLAs 'hypnotised' in BJP Captivity in Bengaluru: MP Minister

Amid a political tussle between Congress and BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Public Relations minister on Tuesday said that the rebel MLAs of are being held in "captivity" the BJP in Bengaluru. He further added that they have been "hypnotised" and made to read out ready-made scripts.

5:00 PM

BJP leaders reach Raj Bhavan to meet Governor Tandon

2:06 PM

Madhya Pradesh Assembly's principal secretary on being asked if he has received a Confidence or No-Confidence Motion: We have not received any official information yet. It has come to our knowledge that some document has been given to the Speaker by the Leader of the Opposition.

1:11 PM

20 more Congress MLAs ready to jump ship, say rebel MP legislators

Rebel Congress MLAs from political crisis hit Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday claimed 20 more MLAs from that party want to join them and they were thinking of joining BJP in the days to come.

 

Speaking to reporters for the first time after arriving in Bengaluru and sending in their resignations, the 22 MLAs said they were ready to face any consequences.

 

"Jyotiraditya Scindia is our leader; we have been doing politics with him for years, most of us are in politics because of him...We are still thinking regarding joining BJP. If we get protection from central police, we will go to Madhya Pradesh and think about it," a woman MLA said.

1:08 PM

Kamal Nath forwards governor's letter on floor test to Speaker

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday forwarded fresh directives given to him by state Governor Lalji Tandon on holding a floor test to speaker of the Assembly for further action.

 

In his letter to the governor on Tuesday, the CM said, "Keeping into account all facts, I have forwarded your direction to me to the Assembly Speaker for an appropriate action".

 

On Monday, Tandon wrote to Nath to hold a floor test on Tuesday, stating that the failure to do so will mean the CM does not enjoy majority in the House.

1:01 PM

BJP MLA Narayan Tripathi meets Kamal Nath

After 22 Congress MLAs turned rebel and sent their resignations to the Speaker in Madhya Pradeh bringing the Kamal Nath government on the brink of collapse, the BJP is also struggling to keep its flock together.

 

A BJP legislator Narayan Tripathi had meeting with chief minister Kamal Nath twice on Monday shortly after the Assembly was adjourned for 10 days.

 

The MLA from Maihar along with Congress legislator Arif Masood came to meet Kamal Nath at his residence.

12:46 PM

Rebel MP Congress MLAs swear by Jyotiraditya Scindia

Swearing allegiance to Jyotiraditya Scindia, who joined the BJP after quitting the Congress, Madhya Pradesh's rebel Congress legislators have said they would stay put with their leader.

 

"As Scindia is our leader, we will always stay with him. He taught us a lot. I will always stay with him even if I had to jump in a well," rebel MLA Imarti Devi told reporters.

11:38 AM

SC issues notice to Madhya Pradesh govt on plea of ex-CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking immediate floor test in assembly

10:43 AM

SC to hear today petition filed by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, others to hold immediate floor test

The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday the petition filed by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and others to hold an immediate floor test in the State Assembly.

 

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Dr. DY Chandrachud and Justice Hemant Gupta will hear the plea filed by Chouhan, who sought urgent direction from the apex court to the Speaker to conduct a floor test as the latter had postponed it to March 26. READ ON...

10:06 AM

Jyotiraditya Scindia is our leader, says Rebel Congress MLA Imarti Devi

10:02 AM

Kamal Nah had no time for us, says MP MLA Govind Singh Rajput