Shiv Sena via Saamana hits out at BJP over its attempt to form govt in Madhya Pradesh

Amid the political crisis in Madhya Pradesh, Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece Saamana on Tuesday took a jibe at the BJP over its attempt to form govt in MP. Sena in its editorial has called BJP an epidemic and compared it to the deadly novel coronavirus. It further questioned BJP over 'the prices it paid to get the MLAs to resign from MP and Gujarat'.

"It says the world is affected by an epidemic but what BJP is doing in MP is also an epidemic. BJP needs to tell the people how much money it paid to get those MLAs of Jyotiraditya Scindia and the four MLAs in Gujarat. It's basically a fight between central government vs state govt and Governor vs Vidhan Sabha," the editorial read. 

Sena also said that BJP has tried this tactic in other states previously as well but failed to do so in Maharashtra. It also mentioned that despite failing to form a government in Maharashtra the BJP is still trying to topple the newly formed Maha Vikas Aghadi. "BJP tried this disease in Karnataka, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur but in Maharashtra, they completely failed. After failing to form a government with Ajit Pawar, BJP is still trying to topple the MVA govt in Maharashtra," it read. 

READ | 'Waiting To Meet 9 Congress MLAs Who Resigned', Says 'worried' MP Speaker

Lastly, the editorial said that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath got a 'lifeline' on Monday but he still has to prove majority and defeat the BJP and also termed the entire situation as 'suspense'. The editorial read, "CM Kamalnath got a lifeline yesterday but now all will depend on whether he can pull it off and defeat BJP like in Maharashtra or the disease will be successful in MP."

On Monday, the Madhya Pradesh governor Lalji Tandon has yet again written to Chief Minister Kamal Nath urging him to hold floor test on March 17, sources said. This came even as the assembly speaker adjourned the Madhya Pradesh assembly till March 26 citing coronavirus scare, earlier in the day. Meanwhile, the BJP has moved the Supreme Court against the speaker and the top court will hear the case on Tuesday. 

READ | Madhya Pradesh Guv Writes To CM Kamal Nath Urging Him For Floor Test On Tuesday: Sources

Madhya Pradesh political crisis

The crisis in the Kamal Nath government started when Congress alleged BJP of poaching 4 MLAs - Surendra Singh Shera, Bisahulal Singh, Hardeep Singh Dang, and Raghuraj Kansana when they were flown to Bengaluru. While two of them have returned to Kamal Nath's folds, 18 MLAs including 6 Cabinet Ministers flew to Bengaluru on Monday. 

In a major jolt to the Chief Minister, the former Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia formally submitted his resignation to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday. He then formally joined the BJP after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter's residence along with former BJP party chief Amit Shah and has since then slammed the Congress saying 'it was not the same anymore'. He has since then been fielded by the BJP for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.

READ | Cong's Punia Slams BJP Over Madhya Pradesh Crisis, Accuses It Of Playing 'open Money Game'

Maha Vikas Aghadi government

The BJP-Sena alliance fell out over a 50-50 power-sharing and shared CM post, leading to the Shiv Sena allying with  NCP-Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra on November 28, which was preceded by 4-day CM stint by Fadnavis, which fell after Ajit Pawar rescinded his support after the Supreme Court ordered an open ballot floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly immediately. Both Fadnavis and Pawar resigned, ushering in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. The government has been on shaky ground with Sena and Congress often tussling on Hindutva related issues and now the CAA-NRC-NPR where Thackeray has defied his allies greenlighting NPR in the state and claiming 'CAA hurts nobody'.

READ | Congress' Nirupam Concedes Maharashtra Govt Is Unstable; Says 'MVA On A Weak Wicket'​​​​​​