BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh minister and rebel Congress MLA Imarti Devi on Wednesday reaffirmed her loyalty to Jyotiraditya Scindia, who has joined the BJP, and said she will always stand alongside him "even if I had to jump into a well".
The women and child development minister said she and 21 other rebel Congress MLAs are camping in Bengaluru out of their own volition and with the blessings of Scindia.
Imarti Devi welcomed the former Congress leader's decision to join the BJP. The MP minister said she will accompany Scindia wherever he goes.
"If Maharaj (Scindia) asks me or I myself feel that I need to jump into a well then I will do so for Maharaj," Imarti Devi said.
"Hum 22 log Bangalore me hai aur sabhi apni marzi se hai. Shrimant Jyotiraditya Scindia ke ashirwad se hai. Accha nirnay liya hai Maharaj ne ke vo hum ko kisi jagah nahi le ke ja rahe hai".
Agar Maharaj hum logan ko kisi jagah par nahi le ke jate aur hum logan se vo kahte ya mai apne se khud kahti hun ki agar kuan me girna hai to me kuan me girungi, par maharaj je sath rahungi, jahan hamare Shrimant maharaj sb hai, Imarti Devi be wahi hai.
"Jitne hum 22 vidhayak hai sab hansi khushi se hai, Imarti Devi said in a recorded statement issued here by Scindias supporters.
(We all are in Bengaluru out of our own wish and with the blessings of Shrimant (Scindia). It is a good decision (to join BJP) and if he is taking us to any place or our Maharaj says or I myself feel the need to fall into a well then I will do so and will remain with Scindia. ) Scindia (49), who joined the BJP in Delhi in presence of party president J P Nadda, is likely to arrive here on Thursday.
Imarti Devi alleged that Chief Minister Kamal Nath had neglected Scindia for long. Scindia and his supporting ministers and MLAs did not suffer such humiliation even during the BJP rule, she claimed.
"I was an MLA for 10 years during the BJP rule, but never faced such a bad situation which I am facing under Nath," she said.
Nineteen Congress MLAs, including six ministers, are in Bengaluru, while three others (Bisahulal Singh, Aidal Singh Kansana and Manoj Choudhary) are in other places.
All of them have resigned from the assembly in support of Scindia, pushing the Kamal Nath government in deep crisis.