BHOPAL: In a late night development from Madhya Pradesh, the ruling Congress party has alleged that eight Congress and allied MLAs have been forcefully kept at a premier hotel in Gurugram by a powerful MP BJP leader.
MP Finance Minister Tarun Bhanot alleged that eight Congress and allied MLAs (including 4-5 Congress MLAs) have been kept forcefully at the hotel in Gurugram.
"One of our MLAs and former minister Bisahulal Singh rang us and informed that they have been forcefully kept at a hotel in Gurugram and are not being allowed to step out," alleged Bhanot.
Bhanot further claimed that two ministers, including Urban Development minister Jaivardhan Singh and Higher Education Minister Jeetu Patwari, who went to the concerned hotel to meet the eight MLAs are not being allowed entry in the hotel.
ALSO READ | Situation stable; one MLA held in hotel back, others to return soon: Digvijaya Singh on MP govt
"Since Haryana has a BJP government, the state police, aided by former minister Narottam Mishra (alleged mastermind behind the entire operation) aren't allowing our two ministerial colleagues to meet the MLAs," said Bhanot.
When state BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal was contacted by The New Indian Express over the development, he refused to comment.
This development, if true, has proved the claims of former CM and Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh correct. A day before Singh said that BJP leaders, including ex-CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former minister Narottam Mishra, are engaging in horse-trading by making huge cash offers to Congress and allied MLAs to topple the Kamal Nath government.
On Tuesday, Singh had tweeted that one of the MLAs Rambai Thakur (suspended from BSP) has been taken in a chartered plane to Delhi by former Home Minister Bhupendra Singh.
The CM Kamal Nath too had seconded Singh's claims by saying that some Congress MLAs had received huge cash offers from BJP leaders, but still there is no threat to his government.
Late in the evening, a Congress MLA Baijnath Kushwah too had told senior cabinet minister Dr Govind Singh, that a BJP leader from Bhind had offered him Rs 25 crore or ministership if he supported the formation of a BJP government in the state.
Sources had confided to TNIE about a possible conspiracy by BJP to make 8-10 Congress and its allies to resign and topple the government. Needless to say, this will also influence the Rajya Sabha polls to be held on March 26.
Congress has 114 MLAs in the 228-members strong Madhya Pradesh Assembly. It also enjoys the support of 7 MLAs, including two BSP, one SP and four independents. Meanwhile, BJP has 107 MLAs.