2 BJP MLAs back Govt Bill; Cong cautions MP, Raj Govts after Bengaluru fiasco
Minutes after a BJP leader claimed in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly that the Kamal Nath Government can be toppled within 24 hours if the party’s Central leadership ordered, two BJP MLAs voted in favour of the Congress Government during voting on a Bill in the Assembly.
BJP MLAs Narayan Tripathi and Sharad Kol, both former Congressmen, voted for the Government against the party’s directive and stated that they supported the Kamal Nath-led Government.
The development came as a major blow to the BJP after Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava claimed in the State Assembly that they would take just 24 hours to topple the State Government if the BJP Central leadership desires so.
Meanwhile the Congress Central leadership has reportedly asked both the Chief Ministers — Nath and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot — to be cautious enough and keep the flocks intact to foil the ulterior motives of BJP to break the legislators’ composition.
During the division of votes on the Criminal Law (Madhya Pradesh Amendment) Bill 2019, a total of 122 MLAs voted in favour of the seven-month-old Congress Government. In the 230-member House, the ruling Congress has the support of 121 MLAs, including Speaker NP Prajapati, who did not take part in the voting. Besides the 120 MLAs of the Congress and its allies, two BJP MLAs supported the Bill and went up to the extent of saying it was their “ghar wapsi” (homecoming).
The Congress, which returned to power in the State after 15 years, has a slender majority in the 230-member House with 114 MLAs of its own MLAs, supported by four independents, two BSP and one Samajwadi Party MLA. The Opposition BJP has 109 MLAs and the halfway mark is 116.
Tripathi and Kol said they extended support to the Nath Government because they want to develop their constituencies.
“The BJP says daily that we are a minority Government that may fall any day. However, during voting in the Assembly on Criminal Law Amendment Bill, two BJP MLAs voted in favour of our Government,” Kamal Nath said.
The exchange of barbs between the ruling Congress and Opposition BJP members took place during the debate on a calling attention motion when the Congress alleged that the previous BJP Government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan hired private helicopters and planes even when the State-owned aircraft lay unused. Chouhan said hiring private aircraft became necessary as he rushed to the spot whenever there was a natural calamity or any other kind of emergency, unlike his successor.
This led to loud protests by Congress legislators, leading to an adjournment for five minutes. When the House reassembled, Bhargava took exception to questioning of expenditure on aircraft used by the previous Chief Minister.
He went on to say that “it would not take more than 24 hours to topple the Kamal Nath Government if our number one and two leaders (apparently referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah) ordered”.
Nath retorted that his Government would complete five years, and added, “Your number one and two are wise.”
The BJP leaders claimed every day that his was a minority Government, and he was ready to face a no-confidence motion “today itself”, the Chief Minister said. “I want to make it clear that none of our MLAs are on sale,” he said.
One BSP MLA Rambai Singh which is part of Congress alliance assured the Kamal Nath Government was stable.
While Nath said he had been an elected MP for 40 years and held several portfolios as a Union Minister and that during his 45-year-long political career he never faced any allegations, Chouhan said the Chief Minister should not complain, as such questions would be raised as his Government was a minority Government.