MP Political Crisis: Ex-CM Digvijaya Singh Detained by Bengaluru Police, All Eyes on SC

Bhopal: There is a new twist in Madhya Pradesh’s political drama with each passing day. Several senior party leaders from the state including former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh have been detained by the Bengaluru Police on Wednesday morning while they were trying to meet with 16 rebel Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

According to the video released by the state Congress, Digvijaya Singh, former Union Minister Kantilal Bhuria, MLAs Jitu Patwari, Sajjan Singh Verma and Arif Masood, along with Finance Minister Tarun Bhanout, Agriculture Minister Sachin Yadav and youth Congress leader Kunal Chaudhri and other Congress leaders can been seen in police custody in Amruthahalli police station.

This is the second attempt by the Congress to meet with their MLAs in the last two weeks. Last week, Congress Minister Jitu Patwari and Lakhan Singh went to Bangalore to meet the MLAs. However, they had been detained by the local police after a scuffle. 

Reacting to the issue, CM Kamal Nath said, “BJP is killing the democracy. Why they are fearing bringing rebel MLAs back to Bhopal. And why do they fear when Congress leaders are trying to meet them?” he asked, adding that if needed he will also visit Bengaluru to meet the MLAs.

A day earlier, State Assembly speaker N.P. Prajapati dashed off a letter to Governor Lalji Tondon raising concern over 16 missing MLAs. He urged the Governor to bring them back from Bengaluru mentioning that as their guardian, he was concerned about them.    

All Eyes on the Supreme Court

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court gave 24 hours to the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh led by Kamal Nath to respond to a petition filed by former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan who sought for an immediate floor test on grounds that the government had been reduced to a minority after the resignation of 22 MLAs.

It did not take much persuasion from senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi for a bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta to order, “Issue notice. In view of the urgency of the situation, the notice is made returnable at 10:30 am on March 18, 2020.” The bench allowed for the notice to be served through email and posted a further hearing for Wednesday.

The MP Assembly Speaker N.P. Prajapati had accepted the resignation of six of the 22 MLAs and the MP Congress Legislature Party (MPCLP) swiftly moved the SC in the afternoon alleging that the BJP had used money and muscle power to abduct MLAs and kept them in captivity outside the state. It said if the floor test was to be held, it should be done after by-elections to 22 seats which fell vacant upon the resignation of MLAs.

Before the MPCLP moved the SC, senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the 16 MLAs, requested the bench to make them a party to the petition filed by Chouhan and other BJP MLAs. Singh said the MLAs had resigned of their own volition and were peeved by the Kamal Nath government’s failure to serve the people. The 16 MLAs requested the SC to direct the Speaker to accept their resignations immediately. The bench ordered their petition to be served on the Kamal Nath government.

‘Floor test should be held after bypolls’

The 16 MLAs said, “None of the 22 MLAs either came out of Bengaluru nor did they appear before the Speaker. However, the Speaker for reasons best known to him, accepted the resignations of only six MLAs on March 14.” While requesting the SC to direct the Speaker to accept their resignations forthwith, they said, “Floor test cannot be withheld under the pretext of the 16 MLAs not being available.”

The MPCLP petition, settled by senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, alleged that the BJP had kept the 16 MLAs in complete isolation in Bengaluru to bring down the democratically elected government in MP by misusing the official machinery of the Union and the Karnataka governments.

Accusing the Governor of pre-judging the situation and directing floor test by concluding that the Kamal Nath government had lost majority in the House without taking into account forcibly taking away of 16 MLAs, MPCLP raised a constitutional question — whether a trust vote ought to be held in the absence of any representation of the electorate who had voted in support of the incumbent government.

Rebel MLAs hold PC in Bengaluru

The rebel Congress leaders camping in Bengaluru on Tuesday said they were not held captive by anyone, as alleged by Chief Minister Kamal Nath. However, they refused to commit on whether they would follow their leader Jyotiraditya Scindia into the BJP.

“We have come to Karnataka voluntarily. We have not been held hostage, nor was there any pressure on us to quit,” MLAs from the Scindia faction told reporters at a joint press conference.

Sacked ministers Tulsi Ram Silavat, Imarti Devi and Govind Singh Rajput were at the press meet, along with legislators Rajvardhan Singh, Aidal Singh Kansana and Bisahu Lal Singh. They claimed they were ready to return to Bhopal but only under paramilitary security. “We don’t trust our state’s security. What will happen to us when Scindia is attacked in Bhopal? We’re ready to go to Bhopal only under central security,” a rebel MLA said.

Asked if they would follow Scindia into BJP, they said in unison that no decision has been taken. “Everyone will come together and then take a decision,” they said.

Nath replies to Governor, asks for 16 Cong MLAs to be ‘freed from BJP captivity’

Chief minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday replied to Governor Lalji Tandon’s letter which asked him to hold a floor test “or it would be considered that his government does not have majority” — and said giving such a diktat was ‘unconstitutional’.

“Your direction for a floor test on March 17, 2020, or else you will consider that I have lost majority support is baseless and unconstitutional. I have come to know that BJP leaders have filed a petition in court as well,” said the CM’s letter, dated March 17. “You mentioned in your letter that the proceedings of the House were adjourned till March 26, 2020, but prefer to remain silent on the reasons for the deferment,” the CM added, and went on to explain the coronavirus crisis and the Union Government’s advisory against holding large gatherings.

“You must be aware that our country and the whole world are facing a threat from coronavirus. WHO has already declared it a pandemic and the Government of India issued an advisory in which there are directions not to hold any function or crowd a public place,” the CM reasoned. “This is why the Speaker adjourned the House till March 26,” he added.

Nath reiterated that he has the numbers on his side. “In your letter, you regretted that I tried to skip the floor test, for which you had set a deadline. I would like to bring to your attention that I have proved majority in the House on several occasions in the past 15 months.”

BJP MLA Tripathi meets Kamal Nath

BJP MLA from Maihar, Narayan Tripathi, who, a day ago, had called on CM Kamal Nath at his official residence, hit out at the BJP on Tuesday for precipitating the political crisis in Madhya Pradesh. Amidst the political drama, Tripathi is keeping his parent party, the BJP, on tenterhooks.

Tripathi said toppling a stable government is like murdering democracy. The BJP has not reacted to his statement.

“Toppling the Congress government is like murdering democracy. No one will contest elections if this continues,” said Tripathi, in response to queries over the political turmoil in the state. He also praised the Kamal Nath government for its welfare schemes.

“Chief minister Kamal Nath is doing good work. Earlier, we used to get power bills worth lakhs of rupees. Now, we are paying only Rs 100,” he said.

Tripathi has met CM Nath four times over the last three days. On Saturday, he met the CM once in the evening and twice again on Sunday. Each time, he said that the meeting was to discuss development work to be undertaken in his constituency.

On Monday, he had supported the Congress government by saying that there is no threat to the Kamal Nath government and that the Congress has a majority in the House.

Referring to his frequent meetings with the CM at a time when there was political turmoil, Tripathi said his only concern is the development of his region, reiterating that there was a Kamal Nath-led government in the state at the moment. “My aim is to make Maihar a district. My politics is based on the blessings of my voters and Ma Sharda of Maihar. I had also quit politics for my region,” he said.

The BJP leader also denied having discussed plans with Congress leader and former minister Ajay Singh during his visit to the CM’s residence. He said he did not interact with Ajay Singh but asserted that there was no enemy in politics.

“The Party leadership is aware of everything. But, Tripathi has not defied the party whip nor resigned from the party till now. He is very much with BJP,” said BJP state spokesperson, Rajneesh Agrawal.