Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls Madhya Pradesh crisis 'Congress' internal matter'

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday called Madhya Pradesh crisis as "Congress' internal matter." Speaking to the news agency, ANI, he further said, "I would not like to comment on it. We had said on the first day that we are not interested in bringing down the government."

In a massive cabinet rejig on Monday, sources reported that all Madhya Pradesh cabinet ministers have resigned. Moreover, sources claimed that Chief Minister Kamal Nath has accepted their resignation in the emergency cabinet meeting underway at CM's residence in Bhopal. This development comes amid the massive rebellion of 18 MLAs in the state, throwing Congress into jeopardy in the state.

Scindia sets demands to Sonia Gandhi

Meanwhile, in a last-ditch attempt to pacify miffed Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sonia Gandhi has called Scindia amid the growing number of rebels in Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs, as per sources. Sources have also reported that Scindia has demanded both a Rajya Sabha seat in the upcoming polls and the post of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee chief.

Read: Former MP CM Arjun Singh's son mulls support to Scindia as 18 Madhya Pradesh MLAs rebel

MLAs taken to hotel

In a big political development in Madhya Pradesh last week, the ruling Congress had alleged that eight MLAs, four from the Congress and four independents who are supporting the government, were forcefully kept at a hotel in Gurugram by a powerful former Madhya Pradesh BJP minister, and later taken to a luxury hotel in Bengaluru.

In the 2018 elections, Congress won 114 seats in the 230-member Assembly and formed the government with the help of four independent MLAs, two BSP MLAs, and a Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator. The BJP had won 109 seats in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly.

Read: Sensational Scoop: Scindia in touch with top BJP leader as 18 Congress MLAs fly to B'luru

BJP-Congress trade barbs 

Last week, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh accused the BJP of luring Congress MLAs by offering them Rs 25-45 crore each. Thereafter, he warned the Opposition that the Karnataka model would not be successful in Madhya Pradesh.

After reports emerged that some MLAs were holed up in the Gurugram hotel, Singh asserted on Wednesday that the situation was under control. Additionally, Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Minister Jitu Patwari alleged that former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan was the mastermind of the alleged horse-trading operation.  

Read: Congress launches attack on Centre, says economy suffering from 'BJP's pakodanomics virus'

Read: Amidst ongoing political crisis in MP, CM Kamal Nath wishes Shivraj Chouhan on B'day