BHOPAL: The national BJP leadership has sought a report from the Madhya Pradesh unit of BJP over two party MLAs voting along with Congress MLAs in support of the Criminal Procedure Code (MP Amendment) Bill on Wednesday evening in the Vidhan Sabha and later announcing their ghar-vapasi (homecoming).
Both the BJP MLAs Narayan Tripathi and Sharad Kol who have announced not to return to BJP fold are former Congressmen.
According to key sources in the MP BJP, the central party leaders are also not pleased with Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava for unnecessarily threatening to pull down the Kamal Nath government if signalled by party’s No.1 and No.2.
If BJP sources in Bhopal are to be believed then the LoP has been asked to exercise restraint in making sensitive political statements.
During the Zero Hour of the budget session of the MP State Assembly on Wednesday, the LoP Gopal Bhargava had said in a threatening tone, “the Congress government won’t last even 24 hours, if our top two leaders (No. 1 and No. 2) gave us the necessary orders.”
The Chief Minister Kamal Nath had immediately responded to Bhargava’s threats by daring him to move a no-confidence motion in the House on Wednesday only. The CM had shot back, saying “your No. 1 and No.2 are sensible, that is why they are not giving such orders. You’re free to bring a no-confidence motion today itself.”
The Wednesday evening development of the two BJP MLAs voting along with Congress members in support of the amendment bill – despite the BJP also supporting the bill, but not wanting to vote on it – is largely being seen to have been triggered by the LoP’s threatening tone to topple the government in 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s parent outfit, the RSS’s top leadership too is believed to have sought details about the developments in MP from its state office bearers.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met the RSS state’s top brass in Bhopal on Wednesday evening, while state BJP president Rakesh Singh who rushed to Bhopal from New Delhi on Wednesday late night, also reportedly met with the RSS top brass of the state in Bhopal on Thursday.
As part of damage control exercise, ex-CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is believed to have met some of those BJP MLAs in the wake of speculations about them being in contact with the ruling Congress.