Day before Madhya Pradesh floor test, Congress MLAs return to Bhopal

Amid the political tug-of-war in Madhya Pradesh, Congress MLAs who returned from Jaipur Sunday morning were herded into a hotel where they will stay till Monday's floor test in the state assembly.

Despite the resignations of 22 MLAs, the Congress lawmakers insist that the government will survive the floor test.

Minister Sajjan Singh Verma said, "We have numbers. That's why chief minister Kamal Nath and all of us are confident."

"Congress government is safe. We are all with the government," said MLA Kantilal Bhuria. Another MLA, Kunal Chaudhary said, "It's prerogative of Speaker of the House to decide when to conduct a floor test. Whenever it happens, we will prove our majority."

Hours before the legislators arrived from Jaipur, Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon had asked Chief Minister Kamal Nath to seek a trust vote on Monday.

Kamal Nath, who is fighting with his back to the wall, summoned his cabinet for a meeting at his residence in the morning. Several ministers who returned from Jaipur also attended the meeting.

Congress functionaries said Nath is likely to meet the MLAs later in the day. According to party leader, the MLAs have been asked not to leave hotel and communicate with outsiders on phone.

Independent MLA Surendra Singh Shera who returned with Congress MLAs said, "I am with the government and it will prove its majority."

Congress MLA and son of senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, Jaivardhan Singh said, "We will prove our numbers on the floor of the House."

Congress members refused to say how many MLAs had gone to Jaipur but insist that "all is well".

"I can't disclose the number but all is well," said Brajendra Singh Rathore, minister for commercial tax.

Minister for Panchayat and Rural development Kamleshwar Patel said the Congress could also get the support of some BJP MLAs. "There are certain BJP MLAs too who are with Congress," he said.

"There are at least six BJP MLAs who are in touch with us," Bhuria claimed.

The Congress has accused the BJP of holding its MLAs hostage in Bengaluru and has asked the Governor to "rescue" them ahead of the floor test.

BJP legislature party chief whip Narottam Mishra issued a three-line whip for its MLAs stating that voting along the party during a floor test is mandatory.

The BJP claims that the Congress which had 114 MLAs in the House with an effective strength of 228, has been reduced to a minority government following the resignation of the 22 lawmakers. The BJP has 107 legislators. There are two MLAs from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), one from the Samajwadi Party (SP), and four independents who support the Kamal Nath government.

The Speaker had accepted the resignations of six ministers on Saturday. With this, the strength of the House has come down to 222 and the majority mark is now 112. The resignations of 16 other MLAs have not been accepted so far.