19 rebel Congress MLAs skip MP Speaker's summons, head to Delhi instead of Bhopal: Sources

In a sudden change of plan on Friday, 19 out of 22 rebel Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs who were holed up in Bengaluru for more than a week are now on the way to Delhi, as per sources. Earlier, they were scheduled to land at the Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal via two chartered planes. The police imposed Section 144 of the CRPC at the airport after both Congress and BJP workers gathered in large numbers. The aforesaid MLAs were set to appear before Madhya Pradesh Speaker NP Prajapati on Friday to clarify whether they have resigned voluntarily or under duress. For this purpose, the rebel MLAs asked the state DGP to provide them CRPF protection.

Read: Kamal Nath Writes To MP Guv Detailing BJP's 'horse-trading'. Read Full Letter Here

Madhya Pradesh political crisis

Jyotiraditya Scindia’s sudden resignation from the Congress party on March 10 was followed by 22 Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs putting in their papers. While their resignation letters are yet to be accepted by the MP Assembly speaker, Congress is making all possible attempts to woo back some of the dissident MLAs as the stability of its government is in serious threat. Scindia, who served as a Union Minister during the second term of the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre, was reportedly upset due to being sidelined despite playing a major role in the victory of Congress in the 2018 MP Assembly elections.  

Moreover, he suffered a further setback after losing from the Guna parliamentary constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. On Wednesday, he officially joined BJP in the presence of party president JP Nadda. Contending that the Congress party was not the same anymore, Scindia also highlighted the failures of the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh.  

Read: Days After Joining BJP, Jyotiraditya Scindia Files Nomination For RS Elections In Bhopal

Kamal Nath meets Governor

Earlier in the day, MP Chief Minister Kamal Nath met Governor Lalji Tandon at the Raj Bhavan in Bhopal. He handed over a letter in which he alleged that BJP had indulged in horse-trading. Mentioning the sequence of events from March 3 when some MLAs of the ruling government were taken away to Bengaluru, he claimed 19 Congress MLAs were held captive by BJP. Moreover, he claimed that BJP leaders submitting the resignation letters of the Congress MLAs was proof of the conspiracy. Nath also pointed out the alleged manhandling and detention of his ministerial colleagues by the Karnataka police when they tried to meet the dissident MLAs. He requested the Governor to ensure the release of the MLAs held in Bengaluru. Furthermore, the MP CM expressed his willingness to have a floor test in the upcoming Assembly session on a date fixed by the Speaker. 

Read: 'Will Kohli Join Pak Team?': Chhattisgarh Minister Questions Scindia's Congress-BJP Shift

Read: BJP Concedes 'deceiving' Shiv Sena, Warns MVA Govt Of Jyotiraditya Scindia-style Revolt