Confident Kamal Nath rules out floor test after meeting Guv

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath met Governor Lalji Tandon on Monday (March 16) night and later claimed his government enjoys majority, ruling out holding a floor test in the Assembly as demanded by the BJP.

Nath also dared the opposition party to table a no-confidence motion against his 15-month-old Congress government if they wanted to test its strength in the house.

The chief minister went to meet the governor after the latter shot off a letter earlier in the day, directing him to hold a floor test on Tuesday (March 17). Tandon, in his letter, said failure to hold a floor test will mean the chief minister does not enjoy a majority in the house.

“I met the governor and thanked him for his address on the opening day of the budget session. We are in a majority today so no question of a floor test. Those who claim that we don’t have a majority should move a no-confidence motion against my government to get the floor test done,” Nath told reporters outside Raj Bhavan.

Nath’s meeting with the governor at Raj Bhavan lasted for over half-an-hour.

“I also discussed current political situation with him,” Nath said. “The BJP thinks that we don’t have a majority and hence has demanded a floor test. We told them it they think that we don’t have a majority, then move a no-confidence motion against us. “They brought it (no trust notice) today and presented it before the Speaker. We will prove out majority,” Nath said.

He also alleged that 16 Congress rebel MLAs have been held “captive” by the BJP, a charge repeatedly rejected by the opposition party.

“I told the governor that as per constitutional provisions, rules and procedures, we are ready for everything. Besides, they should also bring back those 16 captive MLAs (who are in Bengaluru) and grant them freedom,” he said.

However, senior BJP leader and legislator Narottam Mishra denied submitting any notice to the speaker for moving a no-confidence motion against the Congress government.

BJP too confident of numbers

The BJP which on Monday moved the Supreme Court, after Speaker NP Prajapati deferred the trust vote by adjourning the House for 10 days, is confident of displaying a majority.

The apex court on Tuesday will hear the BJP’s petition seeking direction to Kamal Nath to hold a trust vote.

“In Karnataka the Supreme Court upheld the disqualification of 17 rebel MLAs but struck down the provision to bar them from contesting elections for six years (till 2023). If that scenario plays out here, it benefits the BJP,” Hindustan Times quoted a senior party member as saying while citing the example of Karnataka which faced a similar political situation last year.

In Karnataka, 13 rebel MLAs – 10 from Congress and three from JD(S) had moved the Supreme Court when Speaker KR Ramesh refuse to accept their resignations.

The BJP which has 109 MLAs in the 228-member Assembly stands a chance to form government if the resignation of all the 22 MLAs are accepted. The Speaker so far has accepted the resignation of only six of them. If all the resignations are accepted, the majority mark will fall to 206 and the halfway mark to 103, making 104 the desired number for BJP to form government.

The rebel Congress MLAs of the Jyotiraditya Scindia faction, who have been put up in Bengaluru, on the other hand have reiterated that they will stand by their leader instead of voting in favour of Kamal Nath who they allege has never heard them.

“Jyotiraditya Scindia is our leader. He taught us a lot. I will always stay with him even if I had to jump into a well,” said Imarti Devi, a rebel MLA.

(With inputs from agencies)