Bhopal, March 13 The resignations 22 Madhya Pradesh MLAs have been hanging in the balance since nearly a week now.
How does it work for the BJP if the MLAs were ordered to present themselves before the Speaker? The BJP which has become so possessive about the security of Congress MLAs wants that the MLAs should be taken to the Raj Bhawan, where they meet the Governor and hand him their resignations, from the airport. They can then present themselves before the Speaker and explain their absence.
Experts differ on whether this method will work. The Speaker can still grill them and conclude the resignations were taken under duress. He can also highlight the corrupt practice involved in the hospitality extended to the ruling party MLAs. He can defer a call on the resignations and governor may not be able to intervene.
Speaker Narmada Prasad Prajapati on Wednesday issued notices to all 22 MLAs asking them to appear before him.
First batch of six MLAs were instructed to appear on Friday, seven on Saturday and the remaining nine MLAs were instructed to appear on Sunday.
Gunmen of Ministers and legislators were sent to the airport as the legislators were to reach Bhopal had to be provided extra security when they attend the assembly.
Earlier, Speaker N.P. Prajapati said, "I have issued a notices to all the MLAs. The Speaker is bound by rules and procedures. I am doing what is prescribed by rules."
Asked if the government was in a minority and if a floor test should precede the Governor's address Prajapati dismissed the question as hypothetical.
Interestingly, former BJP Minister Bhupendra Singh played a courier to hand over the resignations of three more Congress MLAs Bisahulal Singh, Aindal Singh Kanshana and Manoj Chaudhary to the Speaker and requested him to accept them.
The Congress said this proof was enough to show the BJP was holding the MLAs hostage and coercing them to quit the assembly. Chief Minister Kamal Nath raised the issue in a letter to the governor on Friday.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Govind Singh has handed a letter to the Speaker requesting him not to accept the resignations of the MLAs for now.
The Governor has, in the meantime, accepted the Chief Minister's advice to sack the six minister who had been whisked away to Bengaluru over a week ago reportedly at Scindia's call. The sacked ministers are Imarti Devi, Tulsi Silawat, Pradyumna Singh, Govind Singh Rajput and Prabhunath Singh.
While the news channels kept suggesting that who were kept Bengaluru were expected to reach Bhopal by a chartered flight on Friday. However, they could not take off on time to present when he filed his nomination for Rajya Sabha.
Besides Scindia BJP nominee Sumer Singh Solanki and Congress nominee Phool Singh Baraiya also filed their papers on Friday.
( With inputs from IANS )