The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Madhya Pradesh is facing a peculiar situation. The newly elected parliamentarian from Jhabua constituency GS Damor is also a member of State Assembly.
If he resigns from the State assembly, the BJP that is already facing shortage of numbers, would come down to 108 only.
Damore, a former state government officer has only a few days left to intimate Madhya Pradesh assembly secretariat whether he wishes to continue as MLA or would accept Lok Sabha membership.
A by-election is imminent in Madhya Pradesh, if Damor quits State assembly or the parliamentary seat.
Damor has the distinction of defeating the son and father in two elections in a space of six months. He defeated Vikrant Bhuria in the assembly elections in December and his father Kantilal Bhuria, the defending MP, in the general elections last week. At present, the BJP has 109 MLAs in the present House. If Damor quits, the party would have to face a by-election in the state. In the current situation, the Congress would welcome the change when the strength of the House is reduced to 229 excluding the nominated member and Damore. That gives Congress a winning edge on its own strength of 114.
With the induction of more ministers two from BSP, one from SP and at least two independents the ruling combine would be in a clover, but if Damor retains his assembly seat, the BJP with a strength of 109 could keep the Congress on the edge. The independents as also the BSP and SP members have already been alleging that the BJP has been trying to allure them with hefty money offers.