MP CLP meet attended by 'around 100' MLAs: minister

Amid resignations of 22 legislators of the party, "around 100" MLAs including four independents attended a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) here on Tuesday, a state minister said.

They expressed faith in Chief Minister Kamal Nath's leadership, he added.

However, two BSP and one SP MLA who support the government skipped the CLP meeting, he added.

These three MLAs were holed up in a hotel in Haryana with some Congress MLAs last week when the Congress had alleged that the BJP was trying to lure away its legislators.

Sources also claimed that none of the 22 MLAs who have resigned attended the meeting. The Congress has 114 MLAs in the Assembly, whose effective strength currently is 228.

All the MLAs present at the CLP meeting expressed faith in Nath's leadership, the minister said.

"We resolved to put up a brave fight. We are going to come out triumphant. There is no threat to the government. We are going to prove that in a floor test if the situation arises," he added.

P C Sharma, another minister, claimed while speaking to reporters that the MLAs who had resigned were still in touch with Nath.

"They were trapped with assurance that they were being taken out of the state only to support Jyotiraditya Scindia's candidature for the Rajya Sabha. They were cheated into signing resignation letters," he said.

"They are not happy with Scindia hobnobbing with the BJP," Sharma claimed.

"We have the numbers which we will prove during a floor test in the House," he claimed.

Most of the MLAs who have resigned are considered to be supporters of Scindia, who announced on Tuesday that he had quit the party, giving rise to speculation that he could join the BJP.