Madhya Pradesh crisis: Vidhan Sabha session at 2 p.m. to decide fate of Kamal Nath govt

“The Constitution is mum,” says Speaker after accepting resignation of remaining 16 rebels

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath during State Convention of 'Yadav Mahasabha' in Bhopal on March 6, 2020

The Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha has called for a special session at 2 p.m. on March 20 to conduct a floor test in line with the Supreme Court order for the Congress-led government to prove its majority.

The business of the House, confined to a single agenda, was declared post-midnight, after Leader of the Opposition Gopal Bhargava reached the Assembly in the midst of uncertainty over the test despite the order. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Kamal Nath announced he will hold a press conference at his residence at noon.

Madhya Pradesh Speaker accepts resignation of 16 rebel Congress MLAs

In the order, the Supreme Court directed that the Assembly be convened on March 20 to hold a floor test before 5 p.m. to assess whether the Kamal Nath government continued to enjoy the confidence of the House. On Monday, the Speaker adjourned the Budget session to March 26 in view of the novel coronavirus threat, which the BJP saw as an excuse to put off a vote.

The order has prescribed voting by show of hands during the proceeding that must be videographed. While the Congress has issued a whip to its MLAs to vote in favour of the government during the test, the BJP directed its MLAs to do otherwise.

Madhya Pradesh political crisis: Jyotiraditya Scindia joins BJP

Although Congress leaders hoped the 16 rebel MLAs, supporters of Congressman-turned-BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, holed up in Bengaluru would return to vote, Speaker N.P. Prajapati late on Thursday accepted their resignation letters, which were submitted by BJP leaders on March 10. This reduced the effective strength of the House to 206, with the government requiring the trust of at least 104 MLAs to pass the test. “The Constitution is mum,” Mr. Prajapati said, after accepting the resignation.

In December 2018, the Congress, unseating the BJP in the State after 15 years, bagged 114 seats in the Assembly. With the acceptance of 16 resignations on Thursday and six earlier, its strength is now reduced to 92, while the BJP has 107 legislators. It is still unclear which side four independent members, two BSP members and the lone SP MLA, who have backed Mr. Nath so far, will swing.

The Congress has accused the BJP of luring its MLAs with bribes to cross over, in a bid to topple the government, and holding the rebels hostage in Bengaluru.