Madhya Pradesh: Government accommodation of over 12 Congress leaders sealed

Madhya Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has sealed state accommodation of more than 12 Congress ministers from the previous Kamal Nath regime. This comes after notices were served to all the Congress ministers to vacate the government property.

Congress leader and minister in the Kamal Nath government Jitu Patwari termed the move as a display of "narrow-minded thinking" of the ruling BJP government. He further alleged that MLAs who had been allocated D-type houses were also sent notices.

"The country is under lockdown. Amid this, we were asked to vacate houses. MLAs who were allocated D-type houses were also given notice. Their MLAs Suren Patwa, Neena Verma, Narottam Mishra were residing in B-type houses for two years. This is narrow-minded thinking. They should consider it," Patwari told ANI.

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Notice was issued to former ministers - Tarun Bhanot, Sajjan Singh Verma, Hukum Singh Karada, Brijendra Singh Rathore, Omkar Singh, Priyavrat Singh, Sukhdev Paanse, Umang Singar, PC Sharma, Kamleshwar Patel, Lakhan, Sachin Yadav, and Surendra Baghel.

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Madhya Pradesh Political Tussle

In March, BJP's Shivraj Singh Chouhan took oath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh following the resignation of 22 Congress MLAs that led to the fall of Kamal Nath-led Congress government in the state. Jyotiraditya Scindia's sudden resignation from the Congress party on March 10 was followed by 22 Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs putting in their papers. Even as Assembly Speaker NP Prajapati had accepted the resignations of 6 MLAs, Congress made all possible attempts to woo back some of the MLAs as the stability of its government was in serious threat. 

On March 14, a BJP delegation met Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon and sought the Assembly session to be convened before March 16 so that a floor test could be held. This was followed by the MP CM seeking Union Home Minister Amit Shah's intervention in the safe return of the Congress MLAs allegedly held captive in Bengaluru. Finally, the Governor directed the Speaker to conduct a floor test on March 16, the first day of the budget session. However, the Speaker adjourned the Assembly till March 26 in view of the novel coronavirus crisis without conducting the floor test.

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(With inputs from agency)