New Delhi: Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday accused Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath of fleeing from the floor test and said that the act sends a clear signal that the state government is in minority.
Tomar’s remarks came after the Madhya Pradesh Assembly was adjourned till March 26 earlier in the day amid the demand by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs to hold a floor test as directed by Governor Lalji Tandon.
“Kamal Nath had told the Governor that he was ready for the floor test. Opposition leaders (in Madhya Pradesh assembly) requested Governor for the floor test and the Governor also ordered. Fleeing away from floor test is a signal that Madhya Pradesh government is in minority,” Tomar said in the Parliament premises.
Madhya Pradesh assembly was adjourned till March 26 after the Speaker accepted state Parliamentary Minister Govind Singh’s plea of coronavirus threat in the country.
Earlier, Kamal Nath had written a letter to the Madhya Pradesh Governor, saying a trust vote would be “undemocratic” as Congress MLAs were held captive by the BJP. The Chief Minister had also said it did not lie within the domain of the Governor to interfere with the functions of the Speaker.
Political crisis has engulfed the state after senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia resigned from the post and joined BJP following which 22 MLAs who were loyal to him also resigned.
After the Speaker accepted the resignation of six Congress MLAs on Saturday, the Congress now has 108 legislators. These include 16 rebel legislators who have also put in their papers but their resignations are yet to be accepted.
The BJP has 107 seats in the House, which now has an effective strength of 222, with the majority mark being 112.
Asked if BJP is ready to form the government and it has an adequate number of MLAs required, the Union Agriculture Minister said that 106 MLAs have presented themselves before the Governor assuring that they are with the BJP.
The MP from Morena constituency in Madhya Pradesh, Tomar, however, didn’t speak in the matter of Supreme Court which on Monday agreed to hear on Tuesday a plea filed by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for holding floor test in the state within 12 hours.
Chouhan, a senior BJP leader, on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking direction to Kamal Nath-led Congress government to undertake floor test in view of the political crisis in the state.
