Kamal Nath

On August 23, several Congress leaders threw their weight behind the Gandhi family amid a growing tumult with the party deeply divided on the leadership issue ahead of the crucial Congress Working Committee meeting.

Nath had to resign as chief minister in March this year after the Congress government lost majority with the exit of 22 MLAs who joined the BJP along with senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.

At a virtual rally in Mungaoli, Jyotiraditya Scindia said the Congress was “desperate without chair (power)” and were "concerned because they can’t make money”.

Even though the dates for the Assembly by-elections are yet to be declared, BJP has begun preparations for the crucial polls.

"When by-elections are held, voters will speak their mind. We will win 20-22 seats. Will the (BJP) government last then?" Nath said during a press conference

Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister says there is ambiguity over whether the outstanding loans were cleared by the previous government, although Congress leaders claim 80% of it was waived off, while the remaining got stuck due to political turmoil.

Kamal Nath stepped down as MP chief minister on March 20 after resignations by 22 rebel Congress MLAs pushed his government to the brink.

The apex court, which had on March 19, asked Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker N P Prajapati to reconvene a special session the next day with a sole agenda of conducting the floor test, gave a detailed order on Monday.

Holding the BJP government at the Centre responsible for the 36 novel coronavirus deaths in MP, the former CM of the state said: “The Centre’s engagement in toppling the (state) government led to delay in taking steps to tackle the crisis.”

BJP leaders said three time chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was the frontrunner though names of former state minister Narottam Mishra, who played a key role in dislodging the Nath government, and Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar are also doing the rounds.

Nath's former colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia, 49, joined the BJP earlier this month, beginning the countdown for the fall of the Congress government in the state.

The apex court has ordered the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker to conduct a floor test by 5 pm on March 20, leaving the fate of the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government hanging by a thread after the resignation of 22 Congress MLAs.

The Supreme Court on March 19 directed the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker N P Prajapati to convene a special session on March 20 for conducting the floor test which must conclude by 5 pm.

A bench, comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta, was hearing cross petitions filed by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan and MP Congress on the ongoing political crisis in the state after 22 rebel MLAs of the ruling combine purportedly offered to resign.

Singh staged a protest near a Bengaluru resort this morning where rebel MLAs of Madhya Pradesh Congress are staying, and demanded that he be allowed to meet them.

Chouhan's statement came hours after the apex court asked the state government to give by Wednesday its response to his plea seeking a direction for an immediate floor test.

In his letter to the governor on Tuesday, the CM said, "Keeping into account all facts, I have forwarded your direction to me to the Assembly Speaker for an appropriate action".

Nath also dared the opposition BJP to table a no-confidence motion against his 15-month-old Congress government if they wanted to test its strength in the house.

The plea alleged that all possible attempts are being made by Nath to convert "his minority government into majority by giving all possible threats, allurements to the members of the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha".

"I would like you to recall that when I met you on March 13, 2020, I had brought to your notice that BJP has kept many Congress MLAs as captive under the control of Karnataka Police and they were forced to give different types of statements.