Madhya Pradesh Floor Test Highlights: The Kamal Nath government will face a floor test on Friday.
Madhya Pradesh (MP) Floor Test Highlights: Hours ahead of the Supreme Court-mandated floor test, Kamal Nath on Friday stepped down from the chief minister’s post as the government fell short of numbers in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. “I have decided to step down from the post. However, I shall continue to work for the people here irrespective of my post,” he told reporters.
The Congress government was staring at a collapse after Speaker N P Prajapati accepted the resignation of all the 22 rebel MLAs — six ministers had resigned earlier — late on Thursday. “I have accepted the resignation of the 16 MLAs who have filed petition in the Supreme Court. Based on what they have stated there, I am accepting resignation of these 16 MLAs also,” Prajapati told reporters.
On Thursday, the bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta directed that the test be held by show of hands, and that the rebel Congress MLAs be provided security if they wished to participate in the proceedings. It also ordered that the proceedings be videographed.
The resignation of 22 MLAs, including six ministers, had plunged the Congress-ruled government into crisis last week. With the resignation of 16 more MLAs on Thursday night, the strength of Congress has come down to 92 from 108. The strength of the House has also been reduced to 206.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. (File Photo)
Commenting on the recent developement, BJP leader and former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said was quoted by ANI as saying, "If a govt topples due to their own internal conflict then we can't do anything. You can see that we were not in the game to form or topple a govt. They (Congress) should do some self introspection that what gave rise to such situation."
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the state has witnessed blatant killing of democracy in broad daylight. "What we have witnessed today in Madhya Pradesh is a blatant killing of democracy in broad daylight. Dismantling the democratically elected government for the lust of power has become a habit for the BJP," he said on Twitter.
"Today democracy (was) defeated by hotel diplomacy," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said on Twitter.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath today handed over his resignation to Governor Lalji Tandon. Nath will continue as caretaker chief minister.
The Madhya Pradesh Assembly was today adjourned sine die by the Speaker.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders are holding a meeting in the national capital.
"Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has submitted his resignation to the governor," a Raj Bhawan official told PTI.
Chief Minister Kamal Nath has arrived at Raj Bhavan to submit his resignation.
Former Congress leader Jyotiraditya M Scindia, who recently joined BJP, tweeted, "The people of Madhya Pradesh has won today. I have always believed that politics should be to serve the people. However, the Congress government had seemed to deviate from its path. Truth has won today."
Will submit my resignation to Governor Lalji Tandon on Friday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath told reporters.
However, despite the Speaker's claims, BJP MLA Sharad Kol said he did submit his resignation.
Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker N P Prajapati told reporters, "I had accepted 16 resignations last night. Now, I have also accepted the resignation of Sharad Kol (BJP MLA). He had earlier said that he was forcefully made to resign but after looking at his documents and that he didn't meet me personally, it didn't seem like that."
"The BJP thinks it will win by defeating me. They cannot weaken my resolve. I have always believed in values; the BJP won't succeed. Irrespective of the post, we will continue to work for the people. I am going to resign and will meet the governor in this regard," Kamal Nath told reporters.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath resigned from his post today.
There have been no scam and corruption accusations against the Congress government in 15 months, Kamal Nath said. He added, "The people will give us character certificate, we don't want it from the BJP."
"We wanted to make Madhya Pradesh more attractive for investment. BJP was scared that it may not return to power again in Madhya Pradesh. They thought they win by playing politics. But they have not been able to defeat my morale," Kamal Nath told reporters.
"The BJP has always tried to destabilise the government. In the last 15 months, our government has done a lot for the farmers. The treachery is not done with me but 7.5 crore people. The BJP has betrayed the public mandate," Kamal Nath said.
"The BJP has continuously plotted against my government. Every 15 days, a BJP leader would make a remark, saying this government is here only for a few months and won't last long. They also held hostage our 22 MLAs in Karnataka. They've spent crores of rupees by luring our 22 legislators to the BJP camp. The BJP has planned this to kill democracy. The people of Madhya Pradesh will never forgive them," Kamal Nath said.
"What was my fault all this while? In my entire political career, I have always believed in development. I tried my best to give Madhya Pradesh a new direction. The people here had given me five years to create a new state. I tried giving a new identity to Madhya Pradesh This was what I wanted to achieve," Kamal Nath said.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has started addressing the media.
The resignation of 22 MLAs, including six ministers, had plunged the Congress-ruled government into crisis last week. With the resignation of 16 more MLAs on Thursday night, the strength of Congress has come down to 92 from 108. The strength of the House has also been reduced to 206.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath will shortly address the media. (Express photo)
When asked about the speculations that the ruling party MLAs would resign en masse, the Congress MLA said, "I do not think so. The meeting is going to decide our future course of action." Meanwhile, Congress insiders said that the party was not in favour of filing a review petition in the apex court against its direction given on Thursday.
A meeting of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Legislature Party (CLP) is underway at the residence of Chief Minister Kamal Nath ahead of the Supreme Court-directed floor test in the state assembly. The CLP meeting was called ahead of the special session of Madhya assembly scheduled to start at 2 pm. "Yes we are going to the chief minister's residence, where are going to draw our final strategy for the House," a Congress MLA told PTI before heading to the meeting.
An editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Friday said the Parliament session is on to give 'support' to the steps being taken for toppling of the Madhya Pradesh government. "While Modi urged people to avoid crowds in Delhi, he keeps the Parliament running for political reasons. Thousands of MPs, officials and staff gather at Parliament. It (Parliament is being run) is not to maintain the great democratic tradition but to provide support to the game of toppling the government in Madhya Pradesh," the piece read. It added that while the Kamal Nath government has to prove its majority in the legislative assembly, his supporters have raised the question on how to convene the assembly session in the wake of coronavirus. "If the Parliament session is curtailed due to coronavirus, it will strengthen Kamal Nath's stand. So, it is being talked that even if an emergency situation is created in Delhi, it is politically required to run Parliament," it added.
Taking to Twitter, Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma said, "Six runs are required for the last ball. The entire team and the people of the country have faith in captain Kamal Nath. Satyamev Jayate!"
Tripathi has kept every one guessing. He has the rare distinction of getting elected on three different symbols from the same constituency. He was first elected from Maihar, a famous temple town in Satna district, in 2003 on the Samajwadi Party ticket. He lost the next election but won in 2013 on the Congress ticket. After keeping the Congress on tenterhooks, he resigned, necessitating a by-election. He joined the BJP and comfortably won the by-election. In the 2018 Assembly elections, he repeated his performance, this time with a margin of 2,984 votes.
While the floor test ordered by the Supreme Court will decide the fate of the 15-month-old Congress government in Madhya Pradesh Friday, it will also throw light on which side of the political divide BJP MLA Narayan Tripathi stands. The Maihar legislator had visited Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s residence on March 16, when the BJP paraded 106 members before Governor Lalji Tandon.”I was discussing issues related to the development of my constituency,’’ he said of his fourth visit to the CM house since political upheaval began in the state. He had repeated the same line when reporters saw him leaving the CM residence on March 5 midnight. In the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, the government gave in-principle approval to creating three districts, including Maihar, a demand Tripathi has been making for a long time. Tripathi and one more BJP MLA had voted with the ruling party on a bill in the July session.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Chouhan, insisted on an early date for a floor test. He contended that the state government was only trying to buy time to do horse trading. He said the powers of a Governor are not subject to whether the House is in session or not. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Governor, questioned the contention that the working of the Madhya Pradesh House had been adjourned due to the coronavirus situation. The Parliament, Supreme Court were all working, he said, adding that democracy was not in the Speaker sitting over resignations and asking for two weeks to decide.
Singhvi said a floor test can take place in a running Assembly only when a no-confidence motion is moved or when a money Bill fails. But the bench wondered what would happen when the Assembly is prorogued and a government loses its majority. “Can’t the Governor then call the Assembly as not allowing this would amount to allowing a minority government to continue,” Justice Chandrachud asked. Singhvi replied that the Governor can at the most summon a House and then the Speaker takes over. The Governor, he said, cannot dictate the business to the House. At this, Justice Chandrachud said, “We understand that Governors can’t have carte blanche to destabilise elected governments. However, at the same time, Constitution also recognised some modicum of authority to the Governor to call for a trust vote”. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal said the court will be encouraging demolition of the Constitutional structure if it interprets the law in the manner as sought by the petitioner.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi. appearing for the Speaker, had said that courts had never directed a floor test in a running Assembly. The bench, however, said that the Constitutional principle that emerges is that pendency of decision on a resignation or disqualification with the Speaker is no bar on a no-confidence motion. If the Speaker did not accept the advice of the Governor, one option open to the latter was to submit a report to the Centre, Justice Chandrachud said. Singhvi referred to the discrepancies in the vakalatnama and affidavits submitted by the MLAs who had filed an application for impleadment in the case, and sought to drive home the point that they were being held captive against their will. But Justice Chandrachud said it could well be a matter of non-application of mind, and not necessarily coercion. He said what is clear is that they are all acting in concert. However, it was not possible to infer anything, he said.
The Supreme Court also said “proceedings before the Legislative Assembly shall be videographed and, if a provision exists for live telecast of the proceedings, this shall in addition be ensured” and that “all authorities, including the Legislative Secretary, shall ensure that there is no breach of law and order in the course of the proceedings and that the floor test is conducted in a peaceful manner”. “The submissions which have been urged before the Court would necessitate a judgment which would take some time to be delivered. The state of uncertainty in the State of Madhya Pradesh must be effectively resolved by issuing a direction for convening a floor test, bearing in mind the principles which have been enunciated in the decision of the nine-Judge Bench of this Court in S R Bommai v Union of India and in the decision of the Constitution Bench in Nabam Rebia v Deputy Speaker, Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly,” the bench said.
In the Supreme Court, the bench observed that the time given to prove majority is like a “gold mine” for horse trading. “It is why the court has been proactive in ordering floor tests. The idea is to force the hand and make sure the floor test happens as soon as possible and prevent any illegalities,” Justice Chandrachud said. In their order, the judges said: “The Director General of Police, Karnataka as well as the Director General of Police, Madhya Pradesh shall ensure that there shall be no restraint or hindrance whatsoever on any of the sixteen MLAs taking recourse to their rights and liberties as citizens. In the event that they or any of them opt to attend the session of the Legislative Assembly, arrangements for their security shall be provided by all the concerned authorities.”
Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who approached the Supreme Court with nine others to seek an immediate floor test, hailed the order as “defeat of injustice”. “The government will be defeated in the floor test… We welcome the judgment, bow our heads,’’ Chouhan said. State BJP BJP president V D Sharma called it “the beginning of the end’’ of the Congress-led government.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, the Congress issued a whip to its MLAs, directing them to be present in the House on Friday and vote in favour of the trust vote of the government. Chief Minister Kamal Nath told a CLP meeting at his residence: “Today, the Supreme Court gave its judgment. We argued our case strongly. We also put up our arguments over the 16 captive legislators strongly. The court has given a verdict about the trust vote tomorrow. We are not disappointed. We are together.” “The BJP has played a dirty game by holding our legislators hostage in Karnataka. They played the game to destabilise us because it was shaken by our pro-poor works. BJP was plotting from day one because it could not digest the mandate given by the people for state’s development,’’ he said. The Chief Minister will address a press conference Friday noon.
Madhya Pradesh Assembly's principal secretary A P Singh told news agency PTI that a special session of the house as per the directives of the Supreme Court will be held from 2 pm on Friday and will conclude by 5 pm.
Late on Thursday night, Assembly Speaker N P Prajapati accepted the resignation of the remaining 16 MLAs loyal to former Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, who recently moved to the BJP camp. “I have accepted the resignation of the 16 MLAs who have filed petition in the Supreme Court. Based on what they have stated there, I am accepting resignation of these 16 MLAs also,” Prajapati told reporters.
Moving to end the “state of uncertainty” in Congress-ruled Madhya Pradesh following the resignation of 22 MLAs that plunged the Kamal Nath government into crisis, the Supreme Court, overruling objections Thursday, ordered a floor test in the state Assembly with the direction that it must be concluded by 5 pm Friday. The bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta directed that the test be by show of hands, and that the 16 rebel Congress MLAs — six ministers had resigned earlier and late Thursday, the resignations of the remaining 16 too were accepted by the Speaker — be provided security if they wished to participate in the proceedings. It also ordered that the proceedings be videographed.
The Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh is staring at a collapse as the state Assembly is likely to hold a floor test Friday. The Supreme Court has ordered the floor test by 5 pm to end the political uncertainty in the state. Follow our blog for all the latest updates.