The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh plunged into a crisis on March 9 as a sulking Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with 17 MLAs, virtually revolted prompting Chief Minister Kamal Nath to call a late-night cabinet meeting where around 20 ministers resigned.
Out of 28 ministers in the state cabinet, 20 were present at the cabinet meeting, besides the chief minister, reports suggest.
The Congress holds a thin majority in the 230-member Assembly with its own 114 MLAs and support of two legislators of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), one of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and four independents.
The BJP has 107 legislators while two seats are vacant.
Catch the updates here:
Sources to CNN-News18: Scindia to join BJP in Delhi on March 11
Sources to CNN-News18: All MPMLAs being shifted to from BJP Bhopal office to Delhi via a chartered flight. MP MLAs will stay at Gurugram. Shah andNaddastill atBJPheadquarters.
'Around 100' MLAs including 4 Independents attended meeting of Congress Legislative Party (CLP) in Bhopal, says MP minister. (PTI)
Resolution passed in the Congress legislative party meet in Bhopal
CNN-News18 Sources: Chief Minister Kamal Nath speaks to Congress MLAs, assures them,"We should be prepared for mid-term polls... Congress will come back to power...will not give up the fight to save thisgovernment."
JP Nadda, Amit Shah and PM in a meeting: CNN-News18
Governor Lalji Tandon is expected to return to state capital Bhopal on March 12. Sources say he is monitoring situation from Lucknow and has consulted legal advisors: IndiaToday reports.
JyotiradityaScindia, the 49-year-old scion of the erstwhile Gwalior royal family, quitting the Congress and eyeing to join theBJPis like "homecoming", as his aunt puts it, following in the footsteps of his father and grandmother, reportsPTI.
The entire Gwalior royalty, including his auntsVasundharaRaje(former Rajasthan CM) andYashodharaRajeScindia(former minister), is currently in theBJPfold. It's like "homecoming" for him,YashodharaRajeScindiasaid on March 10.
BJPCentral Election Committeemeeting ends
Madhya Pradesh's former Home Minister Bhupendra Singh arrived in Delhi inevening of March 10 from Bengaluru by a chartered flight, carrying hard copies of the resignations of 19 ministers. He said five more Congress MLAs are expected to reach Bengaluru in a few hours and would also hand in their resignations, taking the total number to 24. Singh hoped the number would touch 30 bymorning of March 11: reports CNN-News18.
Here are the top developments since morning:
>JyotiradityaScindiaresigns from Congress, likely to joinBJPon March 10.
> Congress says that it has expelledScindiafor "anti-party activities".
> PartyMLAsloyal toScindiaand holed up inBengalurutender their resignations toMadhyaPradesh GovernorLaljiTandon.
> Both the developments came afterScindiamet Home MinisterAmitShah and Prime MinisterNarendraModiin Delhi.
> As the day has progressed, reports suggest that moreMLAs, both from Congress and those supporting the party, have offered their support toBJP. Number reaches 22 till 5 pm on March 10.
>KamalNathwrites to the Governor, seeks the removal of six ministers. His loyalists within the party, meanwhile, have expressed hope that the government will, in fact, stay put.
> Senior Congress leaders, including Rajasthan CMAshokGehlotandAdhirRanjanChowdhuryslamScindiafor his move.
>AmitShah, and senior BJP minister NitinGadkari&RajnathSingh reachBJPheadquarters in New Delhi. Shah is expected to inductScindiainto the party along withBJPNational President JPNadda on March 10.
>Prime MinisterNarendraModireachesBJPheadquarters for CEC meet.
>Meeting ofBJPCentral Election Committee begins at party headquarters in Delhi.
