Bhopal: After an eventful Sunday, uncertainty prevailed over Monday’s floor test on the opening day of the Budget session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly.
Speaker NP Prajapati kept everyone guessing on his next move. His role is in focus after Governor Lalji Tandon’s directive to Chief Minister Kamal Nath to prove his majority Monday on the floor of the House Monday.
“You will know it tomorrow 9Monday),” Prajapati said during a media briefing. Asked who decided about the floor test – the governor or the Assembly Speaker – a grinning Prajapati said, “I will let you know tomorrow.”
The Speaker added: “I said earlier I would not be answering hypothetical questions. I have to take a call on the real situation and not imaginary ones. I will read out my ruling tomorrow.”
Everything points to a noisy start to the session. According to indications, the opposition BJP, upbeat with the governor’s direction to Nath to seek a confidence vote after his address, would go for the jugular and seek the ouster of the government right from the word go. The Congress government which stares at a possible collapse might try buying time through the Speaker to win back some of its 16 rebels MLAs.
“The Governor has directed the chief minister to seek a confidence vote after his address. But, the Speaker decides the proceedings of the House,” state Law and Legal Affairs Minister PC Sharma argued, suggesting the probable course of developments. Sharma was still confident of his party proving the majority.
“A floor test might not take place on Monday. It is very unlikely Monday. The Assembly Speaker’s decision prevails in the House. The issue (of floor test) will go to court,” said another Congress MLA.
On the other hand, BJP chief whip Narottam Mishra said, “Congress has lost the majority. The governor is saying that it is a minority. I am not saying this, it has been mentioned in the letter sent to chief minister by the governor.”
The BJP claims that political crisis in the state was due to the internal fighting in the Congress and it has nothing to do with it. Both the parties are going to move the Supreme Court over this issue shortly, sources said.
The Congress Legislature Party meet is scheduled for late Sunday evening. Parliamentary affairs minister Govind Singh had issued a whip to its legislators to be present at the session.
BJP MLAs herded up in Haryana are expected to return Monday morning, party sources said. The 19 rebel Congress may also arrive Monday morning said a source close to Jyotiraditya Scindia. The Congress MLAs who are still loyal to the party and were taken to a resort in Jaipur returned here Sunday afternoon.
With the acceptance of the resignations of six out of 22 rebel Congress legislators Saturday, the strength of the MP Assembly has dipped to 222. The Congress had the support of four independents, two BSP MLAs and one from the SP, but some may now switch sides to the BJP.
On its own the Congress would be left with just 92 seats, after its 22 legislators rebelled and resigned early this week. Resignations of 16 members have not been accepted yet. The BJP has 107 seats, just five short of the majority mark of 112.