Hours before the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh is expected to face a floor test in the state assembly to prove its majority as directed by governor Lalji Tandon, the opposition accused it of trying to avoid the procedure in the name of the speaker.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who returned from Delhi on Sunday night after meeting the party’s central leadership, questioned chief minister Kamal Nath’s motives.
“Chief minister Kamal Nath has said that the decision on floor test has to be taken by the speaker. He is trying to look innocent. He knows well that it’s the state government which decides upon the business of the House and it’s the speaker who conducts the House as per the business decided by the government,” Chouhan, the BJP’s national vice-president, said.
Chouhan said “instead of beating around the bush”, Kamal Nath should honour the governor’s letter and “seek a trust vote in the House to let the world know whether his government is enjoying a majority or has been reduced to a minority in the House.”
“Why is chief minister running away from a floor test when he himself has given it in writing to the governor that he is ready for a floor test and the opposition too has agreed to the same?” asked Chouhan.
The government, on its part, has dropped enough hints it is not willing to seek a trust vote until and unless the 22 Congress MLAs, who the party has alleged have been held captive in Bengaluru by the BJP, are rescued.
Governor Tandon called Kamal Nath on Sunday night to understandably discuss the government’s stand on the floor test. A Congress leader said the governor called the chief minister after seeing that the state assembly’s list of business for March 16 released on Sunday night didn’t mention a floor test.
After coming out of Raj Bhavan, Kamal Nath said while speaking to reporters he is ready for a floor test.
“A floor test will be decided by the speaker. The speaker will discharge his duties and I will do mine. I have already written to the governor earlier that I am ready for a floor test but the MLAs who are captive should be freed. I am confident about the government’s majority,” he said.
Later, the chief minister released a statement saying there was a discussion with the governor on how to ensure the conduct of business in the House peacefully.
“I also want that the state assembly runs in a peaceful atmosphere. For that, I will have a discussion with the speaker in this regard. As far as a floor test is concerned it’s to be decided by the speaker. What can I say in this regard?” he said.
He said, “I told the governor that MLAs should be free in attending the House proceedings and the government has no objection to a floor test. I will reply to the governor’s missive.”
Notably, Speaker NP Prajapati said on Sunday that “the question if a floor test will be held is a hypothetical one.”
“I can’t tell in advance what will be my decision in the House,” he said.
The BJP’s legislators, who were flown to Haryana’s Gurugram a few days ago, returned to Bhopal on Sunday night. Gopal Bhargava, the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, received them at the airport, said BJP leaders.
The Congress had already called back its MLAs on Sunday from Jaipur where they had been flown on March 11 in a bid to stop the BJP to approach any of them.
Meanwhile, the state assembly secretariat asked those visiting the premises on Monday onwards to enter only after wearing a mask amid the coronavirus outbreak.
“Those visiting the state assembly premises should not assemble in groups and enter the premises only after wearing masks. At the same time, they should use sanitisers too,” AP Singh, state assembly principal secretary, said in a release.