Congress, BJP issue whips to their MLAs on trust vote eve

The ruling Congress and the opposition BJP on Thursday night issued whips to their respective legislators ahead of the Supreme Court-directed floor test of the Kamal Nath government in the Madhya Pradesh assembly on Friday.

In the whip issued here, BJP's chief whip Narottam Mishra told party MLAs to vote against the 15-month-old Nath government during the trust vote.

On the other hand, Congress chief whip and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Govind Singh told all party MLAs to remain present in the Assembly and vote in favour of the Nath government.

All the party MLAs should essentially be present during the proceeding (in the Assembly) on March 20 and vote in favour of the trust vote of the government, said the three-lone Congress whip.

The Nath government is teetering on the brink of collapse after 22 Congress MLAs rebelled and resigned.

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed Assembly Speaker NP Prajapati to convene a special session on Friday for conducting the floor test which must conclude by 5 pm.