Madhya Pradesh political turmoil: 'Missing' independent MLA returns; denies abduction

One of the four missing MLAs supporting the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh returned to Bhopal on Friday and denied that he had been abducted. Surendra Singh Shera, independent MLA from Burhanpur, returned here by an afternoon flight from Delhi. Talking to reporters, he asserted that he continues to support the Kamal Nath-led government.

He said, "I was in Bengaluru for my daughter's medical treatment. I was not in any kind of captivity. I will meet CM Kamal Nath soon." The Congress had alleged that the opposition BJP was trying to poach its MLAs to bring down the state government. Three Congress MLAs -- Hardeep Singh Dang, Bisahulal Singh, and Raghuraj Kansana -- are reportedly still untraceable. 

Amid political turmoil in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Kamal Nath penned a blog on Saturday, alleging that BJP is attempting to de-stablise his Congress government. He has asked if the saffron party is working in tandem with the sand mafias. Claiming that he has never done negative politics, he said that he wishes "Bajrangbali to give positivity to the BJP leaders."

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In his letter, he has said, "It is beyond my imagination that in the greed of power BJP has resorted to horsetrading and has overlooked morality. This behavior of BJP netas has harmed the proud history of Madhya Pradesh. I am imagining how and from where has BJP gotten such behaviour? Are they influenced by mafias - against whose illegal business I have taken steps? BJP is simply trying to de-stabilize the MP govt."

"I am confident that my MLA's are with me. I never did negative politics. Even when I was a union minister and in state, there was BJP govt. I helped BJP at that time also." He added, I wish that Bajrang Bali should give his blessings to the BJP leaders so that they get some positivity." 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.

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Madhya Pradesh political turmoil 

On Thursday, top sources of Republic TV had stated that some Congress MLAs from Madhya Pradesh had reached Bengaluru and that there was a possibility that 14 MLAs might resign from the government. Reportedly, the MLAs who were taken to Bengaluru are allegedly huddled in luxury hotels.

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.

(With agency inputs) 

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