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

Madhya Pradesh Political Crisis LIVE Updates: Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Wednesday to meet rebel Congress MLAs. Addressing the media after he was not given the permission to sit on a dharna, Singh said, "My 22 MLAs have been held captive here in Bengaluru. They want to talk to me. Their phones have been snatched. Allow me to meet them."

Earlier, Governor Lalji Tandon had sent a letter to Assembly Speaker N P Prajapati on 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 a collapse. Of them, the speaker has accepted the resignations of six MLAs.

The governor had asked Chief Minister Kamal Nath to face a floor test on Tuesday. Following this, Nath rushed to meet him at Raj Bhavan, where he assured Tandon that he had the numbers for a test.

"If someone says, that we (Congress) don't have the numbers, they can bring the no-confidence motion, why should I conduct a floor test? What problem do the 16 (rebel Congress) MLAs have? They should put forth their opinion," he said.

On Monday, the state legislative Assembly had been adjourned until March 26 in view of the coronavirus pandemic.