BHOPAL: The midnight political drama in Madhya Pradesh with its epicentre in Gurugram (Haryana) is far from over.
While, the Congress claimed to have defused the crisis by making five to six Congress and allied MLAs (who were allegedly taken by the BJP leaders to hotels in Gurugram) return to the ruling party fold, at least four others, which possibly include three Congress MLAs and an independent MLA are missing and could have been shifted to Karnataka.
According to key sources in the Congress who are camping in Delhi and Gurugram, around 8-10 MLAs, including four of the seven allied legislators (one BSP, one suspended BSP, one SP and one independent) and six Congress MLAs had been taken to two hotels in Gurugram and Panipat by powerful BJP leaders on Tuesday.
While the 8-10 Congress and allied MLAs had been kept in at least two hotels in Haryana, six to seven senior state BJP leaders, including ex-Cm Shivraj Singh Chouhan, former ministers Narottam Mishra, Bhupendra Singh, Rampal Singh, Sanjay Pathak, Vishwas Sarang have been camping in Delhi since Tuesday. Two more BJP leaders, including state party vice president and Ater (Bhind) MLA Arvind Bhadoria and senior organizational leader Arvind Menon too are said to be key part of entire operation titled among informed BJP circles as Operation Holi.
According to informed sources within the Congress, six Congress and allied MLAs, among them Saniv Singh Kushwah (BSP), Rambai Thakur (suspended BSP MLA), Rajesh Shukla (SP), Ranvir Jatav, Kamlesh Jatav and Aidal Singh Kansana (all Congress) have returned to parent fold. All of them were allegedly kept by BJP leaders in a premier hotel in Gurugram.
But at least four others, among them HS Dang, Bisahu Lal Singh and another Congress MLA and independent MLA Surendra Singh Shera are missing and are believed to have been shifted somewhere in Bengaluru or Chikmaglur hill station of Karnataka.
The entire focus is now shifting to Delhi, as six MP ministers are camping there to defuse the crisis, while ex-CM Digvijaya Singh (who had dropped enough hints of BJP’s Operation in MP on Monday) is likely to hold a detailed press conference later in the day. Chief Minister Kamal Nath too is likely to fly to Delhi in a short while.
In Delhi, Digvijaya Singh claimed a host of BJP leaders, led by ex-CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former ministers Narottam Mishra have masterminded entire operation to attempt bringing down the Kamal Nath government and also influence the March 26 Rajya Sabha polls for three seats in MP. Singh is among the three RS members (two others from BJP) from MP, whose term comes to end next month.
“BJP has become so replete with arrogance, power and money that they are trying to dislodge every non-BJP government, including Kamal Nath government in MP. If raids are conducted at BJP office and home minister Amit Shah’s residence, huge cache of unaccounted money would be seized,” alleged Digvijaya Singh in Delhi.
In Delhi, senior Congress Rajya Sabha member PL Punia is likely to raise the issue of alleged BJP Operation Holi in MP in the upper house of the Parliament on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, visibly embarrassed by the developments, the MP BJP unit tried hard to distance itself from the political drama allegedly scripted by their senior leaders.
Both, Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava and state BJP chief VD Sharma made it clear that BJP had nothing to do with the political drama in Haryana.
The government has been operating as an “already blackmailed” government and it has been exposed by what is happening now, newly appointed state BJP chief VD Sharma said.
Though the actual strength of MP Vidhan Sabha is 230, but owing to death of two legislators, the total strength presently stands at 228, out of which Congress had 114 MLAs (two less than simple majority on own) and also had support of seven allied MLAs. BJP has 107 MLAs, two of whom Narayan Tripathi and Sharad Kol are said to be disgruntled and had skipped crucial party meeting at state BHP HQ in Bhopal on Tuesday.