New Delhi: The Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh is staring at a virtual crisis with 17 MLAs and former Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia said to be “missing”. Kamal Nath, who met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi rushed back to Bhopal and called a Cabinet meeting. The ministers resigned for a reshuffle.
Top BJP leaders, including Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, are believed to be ‘keeping a tab’ on the MP Congress turmoil. Former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has met party chief J P Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue. Apparently, the BJP leaders are in touch with Scindia and have offered him a place in the Centre via the Rajya Sabha.
The meeting will be held in the absence of at least six ministers who profess loyalty to Scindia mdash; Tulsi Silavat (Health), Mahendra Singh Sisodia (Labour), Govind Singh Rajput (Transport), Imarti Devi (Women and Children), Pradyuman Singh Tomar (Food) and Prabhuram Choudhary (School Education). Congress sources said Scindia’s cell phone as also of the missing MLAs was not reachable.
The Congress government in the state has a thin majority with 114 lawmakers. The BJP has 104 MLAs. The Congress also claims the support of four Independents, two BSP MLAs and one SP legislator. Scindia is learnt to have dug in his heels in a tug of war with Nath and Congress stalwart Digvijay Singh.
In Madhya Pradesh, three Rajya Sabha seats have fallen vacant. Scindia was hoping to make it to the House. While one seat each will comfortably go to the BJP and Congress in a 230-member house, the third remains dicey. Scindia’s chances looking slim with former CM Digvijay leading the nomination race. Also, several Congress leaders have been batting for AICC general secretary Priyanka Vadra. It is learnt that Scindia, not sure of his future in the Congress, has decided to revolt and play hard ball. Sonia Gandhi did not give audience to Scindia who was in Delhi recently. The BJP is expected to hold a parliamentary party meeting tomorrow where it may announce the Rajya Sabha nominations.
