New Delhi, March 5 The Congress has alleged that the BJP is using various means to dislodge the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress has questioned the BJP over who is paying for the chartered flights and five-star hotels to house its 'rebel' MLAs.
The Congress has alleged that BJP is using money from the mining and liquor mafia.
"This is politics of poaching," alleged Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.
The Congress alleged that in Madhya Pradesh this is the third attempt to destabilise its government and the MLAs have been kept in a BJP-ruled state.
"If BJP attempts this, the whole opposition will condemn it and we appeal to the people to stand with the Constitution. In Madhya pradesh and Rajasthan from day one the BJP is trying to destabilise the governments as Rajya Sabha election nears," alleged senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Congress' Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad said that from since last five years after the BJP came to power at the Centre the democratic set up of the states was being dismantled one by one starting from Arunachal Pradesh and then in Manipur and Goa.
He alleged the same happened in Jammu & Kashmir as Congress and NC wanted to form the government but BJP went with PDP. In Karnataka, the Congress-JD(S) government also fell last year.
The Congress has alleged that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has tightened the noose on the mining and liquor mafia and that is why the BJP is rattled and using its money power to book chartered flights and five star hotels for the 'rebel' MLAs, said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.
The Congress is cautious as its government in Madhya Pradesh is surviving on a very thin majority and the party cannot take any risk. The elections to the Rajya Sabha will be the first litmus test of the government.
Congress leaders, including Digvijaya Singh, and the Chief Minister are fighting to keep the government safe. While the Congress has managed to "bring home" six of its MLAs and one BSP rebel MLA, six supporting legislators four independents, two from the BSP and one from the Samajwadi Party are still not traceable.
The current strength of the state Assembly is 228. The Congress has 114 and the BJP 107 members in the House. The Kamal Nath government is supported by four independents, two BSP members (one of them rebel) and one SP MLA.
If the four MLAs, who are still untraceable, including three of the Congress and one independent, switched sides then the Madhya Pradesh government will be in trouble. But if they resign from the House like in Karnataka, then the Congress government will survive.
( With inputs from IANS )