MP govt in minority; hold trust vote on Sunday, demands BJP

The BJP in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday submitted a memorandum to Governor Lalji Tandon, demanding a floor test by division of votes on Sunday before the budget session of the state Assembly starts on Monday.

Senior BJP leader and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also said that the proceedings of the trust vote must be video-recorded.

The Kamal Nath-led Congress government was pushed into a crisis earlier this week after senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia revolted and joined the BJP and 22 MLAs who support him tendered their resignations.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Tandon, Chouhan said, "We have submitted a memorandum to the governor. Twenty-two MLAs have resigned. They have confirmed their resignations by issuing videos. Now the Nath government is in minority and does not have the constitutional right to continue.

"We have said there is no meaning to the governor's address, no meaning to the budget session. Before the budget session, there should be a floor test," he said.

Further, the trust vote must be held in the presence of an observer appointed by the governor and videographed, he said.

"We also demanded that the trust vote be held through division of votes and by pressing buttons and not by voice vote," he said.

It must be held on Sunday, a day head of the budget session, he added.

The Kamal Nath government was luring, pressurising and threatening the kin of rebel MLAs and cases were being registered against the legislators themselves, he alleged.

"Our leader (Jyotiraditya) Scindia ji was attacked on Friday. MLAs (who resigned) have demanded security of Central forces and don't want to return (from Bengaluru) without it," he said.

The BJP delegation included Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava, former union ministers Narottam Mishra, Bhupendra Singh and Rampal Singh.