'Operation Moneybags; not Lotus': Digvijaya reaches MP under Kamal Nath's instructions

Amidst the tense political situation in Madhya Pradesh, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday again accused the BJP of resorting to horse-trading in order to bring down Kamal Nath government and added that the state government is "safe". He also added that there was 'no problem' within the Kamal Nath-led Congress government.

'I came here after the CM asked me to'

"It is not Operation Lotus, but Operation Money bag. Big, big bags (of money).There is no problem within the (Kamal Nath-led Madhya Pradesh) government. I came here after the Chief Minister asked me to. Our government is 100% safe." The Congress leader also told media in Bhopal that cabinet expansion will be done after the budget session of the assembly. "State Cabinet expansion should be done after the budget session of the assembly."

On Thursday, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also accused the BJP of abducting 14 Madhya Pradesh MLAs to bring down the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress spokesperson also demanded that an investigation should be done on who arranged the chartered plane to fly four Congress MLAs to Bengaluru.

SP, BSP MLAs say "no offer from BJP"

On March 5, SP MLA Rajesh Shukla and BSP MLA Sanjeev Kushwaha said that they had not received any offer from the BJP to switch sides and that they are still backing the Kamal Nath government. On Thursday, top sources of Republic TV had stated that some Congress MLAs from MP had reached Bengaluru and that there was a possibility that 14 MLAs might resign from the government.

READ | Digvijaya Singh accuses BJP of horse-trading in MP, says party 'ferrying MLAs to Delhi'

High drama unfolded on Wednesday, a day that saw charges flying thick and fast between the Congress and the BJP, which denied any move to topple the Nath government and asked the ruling party to keep its own house in order.

READ | Kamal Nath plans emergency MP cabinet expansion to keep flock together; Digvijaya concurs

On Monday also, 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. 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.

READ | Digvijaya Singh accuses BJP top brass of spending black money to destabilise MP govt

READ | 'One of the MLAs held in Gurugram back, others will also return to us': Digvijaya Singh

(With agency inputs)