Madhya Pradesh BJP MLA refutes report of him joining Congress; claims 'abduction attempts'

Amid the political crisis and poaching allegations in the Kamal Nath-led Madhya Pradesh, state BJP MLA Sanjay Pathak on Friday claimed that attempts were made to abduct him, and dismissed the reports of him joining the Congress party. Speaking to ANI, the BJP MLA said that he will always remain a part of the BJP. 

"I was a part of BJP, I am a part of BJP and will always remain in BJP," said Pathak.  Pathak, who is a three-time MLA from Vijayraghavgarh constituency, has reportedly alleged that the Kamal Nath-led government in the state is indulging in a political vendetta by involving him in the MLA poaching row. "I've not met CM Kamal Nath. Last night, an attempt was made to abduct me. I just hope that in this political game, I am not abducted & killed. A lot of pressure is being put on me. I will always remain in BJP," he added. 

His remarks came after the state government ordered to close iron ore mines owned by Pathak, citing Supreme Court orders.  Pathak was a Congress MLA from 2008 to 2014. He joined BJP in 2014 and was appointed as minister of state in 2016 in then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Cabinet. 

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Congress leader Randeep Surjewala accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of abducting 14 Madhya Pradesh MLAs to bring down the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh. He also demanded that an investigation should be done on who arranged the charter plane to fly four Congress MLAs to Bengaluru.

Madhya Pradesh political turmoil 

On Monday, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh had alleged that BJP leaders Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Narottam Mishra were offering bribes of Rs 25-35 crore to Congress MLAs in order to bring down the Congress government in the state. Congress had won a slender majority in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections in 2018.

In the possibility that 14 MLAs resign from their seat, the Madhya Pradesh government will not be able to survive the trust vote. In 2018 Assembly results, Congress, which won 114 seats in the 230-member Assembly formed the government with the support of four Independent MLAs and two BSP MLAs and a legislator from the Samajwadi Party (SP). The BJP had secured 109 seats in the state Assembly.

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(With ANI inputs)