City
Epaper

Stung by Karnataka, Goa, Congress rushes Scindia to MP to avert any crisis

By IANS | Updated: July 11, 2019 22:25 IST

In view of the recent developments in Karnataka and Goa where its MLAs have rebelled or switched to the BJP, the Congress has rushed General Secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia to Madhya Pradesh to stem any such crisis in the state.

Open in App

According to senior party leaders, Scindia arrived in Bhopal on Thursday afternoon and held discussions with Chief Minister Kamal Nath over lunch at his residence.

He also visited the state Assembly and interacted with people at the Coffee House. In the evening, Scindia participated in the dinner at the residence of his key supporter and state Cabinet Minister Tulsiram Silawat, where most of the state ministers and legislators of both the party and its allies were present.

A senior Congress leader requesting anonymity said that the BJP had contacted at least 10-15 Congress MLAs in the state in the last one month to seek they switch over to it.

The party leader said that these talks were, however, in the initial stage as nothing has been promised to the Congress legislators.

According to political observers, the Congress is seeking to project the message that it is united and impress on the legislators that there are no differences between its top leaders in the state.

A common grouse of Scindia loyalists among the ministers and legislators is that the officials do not listen to them. Scindia did not agree with their perception, but stressed that there should be coordination among all, since team spirit was important.

State Minister Sajjan Singh Verma, however, commented that nothing much should be read into Scindia's visit and engagements, as top leaders keep visiting the state and when they come, gatherings of party lawmakers are organised. He ruled out anything like Karnataka or Goa happening in the state.

The Congress enjoys a precarious majority in the state. Though it emerged as the single largest party in the 230-member house after the last year's Assembly elections with 114 seats, it failed to cross the halfway mark on its own and enlisted support of the BSP and the SP which have won two seats and one seat each.

Four Independent MLAs, who are Congress rebels, have also extended their support, taking the total number of MLAs on the Congress side to 121.

The BJP had finished second by winning 108 seats.

The strategic move of the Congress comes at a time when the party's 13 month-old coalition government with the Janata Dal-Secular is facing a crisis following the resignation of over 13 MLAs.

On Wednesday, even 10 out of 15 party MLAs in Goa switched their alliance to the ruling BJP in the state. A senior party leader said that on Tuesday night, a Congress MLA from Goa before arriving in the national capital to join the BJP informed the party leader about his decision and requested him not to stop him.

The leader said that the message of 10 MLAs switiching their sides was immediately passed on to the senior leadership. Congress sources said that the BJP, which is looking for exapansion in Odisha, is eyeing the Congress leaders in the state.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: ScindiabjpgoaKamal Nath
Open in App

Related Stories

NationalBengaluru Man Takes Girlfriend to Goa for Marriage, Kills Her After Argument; Dumps Body in Forest

NationalAishwarya Raj, Wife of BJP MLA, Wins Mrs Bihar 2025 Title

NashikBig Setback for Uddhav Thackeray in Nashik as 20 Corporators Join Rival Factions

NationalGoa: Two Missing Minor Girls Allegedly Raped at Calangute Hotel; Two Arrested

NationalUP Honeymoon Couple Among Seven Missing After Vehicle Falls Into Teesta River in Sikkim

National Realted Stories

NationalHoneymoon murder case: Meghalaya Police question over 20 people in Indore

NationalDelhi govt to expand SC/ST/OBC scholarship outreach, hostels: Minister Ravinder Indraj

NationalRahul thanks PM Modi for extending greetings on 55th birthday

NationalUnprecedented development in Bengal Assembly as speeches of all BJP legislators expunged

NationalProtest erupts against vandalism of Tagore’s ancestral home in B’desh