The Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh scored a 10-day reprieve today as the assembly session was adjourned without a trust vote until March 26 over coronavirus, after a one-minute address by Governor Lalji Tandon. The opposition BJP has gone to the Supreme Court.

The Governor this morning walked out of the assembly amid slogans of “respect the house” after he read out only the last page of his traditional address on the opening day of the budget session and urged the Congress to “follow the Constitution”.

“All must follow the rules under the Constitution so that dignity of Madhya Pradesh remains protected,” said the Governor, who had written to the Speaker to hold a test of strength today for the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government.

after the Governor’s walkout, the MLAs of the government and the opposition BJP remained inside, shouting slogans at each other. As they walked out, the BJP MLAs sang: “Hum Honge Kaamyab…”

The Congress, desperate for survival, has asked for the assembly to be suspended over coronavirus. Many of its MLAs entered the house wearing masks.

Kamal Nath has written to the Governor calling his letter directing a trust vote unconstitutional and asserting that it “does not lie within the domain of the Governor to interfere with the functions of the Speaker”.

The resignation of 22 Congress MLAs has brought the state government on the brink of collapse. The MLAs, who flew to Bengaluru in BJP-ruled Karnataka, are expected to follow Jyotiraditya Scindia into the BJP; the long-time Congress leader made the stunning switch last week, complaining that the party was “not what it was before”. The four-time MP had been seething in resentment for months, without any government or party post in Madhya Pradesh after the Congress won state polls in December 2018.

Only six of the 22 resignations have been accepted by the Speaker.

The Congress claims the rebels have been kept captive in Bengaluru and is desperate for more time to establish contact with them and possibly, win them back.

On the weekend, the Chief Minister even wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah requesting “help” to free the “kidnapped” MLAs.

After a meeting with the Governor that ran past midnight, Kamal Nath told journalists that the Speaker would take a call on today’s voting.

In his letter, Mr Nath said to the Governor: “The Governor cannot require the Speaker to discharge his functions in the manner he considers constitutionally appropriate.”

The Madhya Pradesh assembly currently has 222 of 230 members and the majority mark is 112. The Congress has 108 MLAs in the House, and the support of seven allied legislators. If the resignations of all 22 MLAs are accepted, the Congress’s strength will come way below the new majority mark of 104, and the BJP, with 107 MLAs, can form government.

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Earlier Former Union Minister and four-time parliamentarian Jyotiraditya Scindia resigned from the Congress on Tuesday morning, shortly after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.

He is expected to join the BJP sometime this week, days after criticising the party over violence in Delhi, and is likely to be rewarded with a Rajya Sabha seat and subsequently a berth in the union cabinet. Shortly after his exit, 21 Congress MLAs sent letters of resignation, sources within Madhya Pradesh Raj Bhavan said.

Earlier sources said 25 MLAs were ready to resign. Should these resignations be accepted, the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government will be reduced to a minority and likely be toppled. However, Mr Nath is confident his government will complete the five-year term. “There is nothing to worry about. We will prove our majority,” he said late on Tuesday night.

Scindia posted a resignation letter on his Twitter account dated 9 March, stating to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that it was “time to move on” as the path for the same has been “drawing out over the last one year”. Scindia, three time Lok Sabha MP, played a key role in Madhya Pradesh elections in 2018 which the party won.

Scindia’s resignation happened in the backdrop of a section of party MLAs from Madhya Pradesh revolting against Nath. By late Tuesday evening, atleast 22 of them had tendered their resignation to Governor Lalji Tandon as well as to the assembly speaker.

Out of the total 230 assembly seats, two are currently vacant. In the event of the resignation of 22 rebel MLAs getting accepted, the actual voting strength (in case of a trust vote) will effectively come down to 206. The list of those who have resigned includes six ministers — Tulsi Silawat, Govind Singh Rajput, Prabhuram Choudhry, Imarti Devi, Pradyumna Singh Tomar and Mahendra Singh Sisodia.

BJP alone has 107 MLAs in the legislative assembly while the Congress’ original tally is 114. Congress draws support from draws support from four independents, two Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLAs, and one MLA from the Samajwadi Party (SP).

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