‘Still in Bengaluru’, say Madhya Pradesh MLAs in videos, to skip floor test

They insisted that they had already submitted their resignations and that their loyalties lay with Jyothiraditya Scindia.
The Madhya Pradesh rebel Congress MLAs pose with their resignation letters in Bengaluru on Tuesday. (Photo | EPS)
The Madhya Pradesh rebel Congress MLAs pose with their resignation letters in Bengaluru on Tuesday. (Photo | EPS)

BENGALURU: Following speculation that a few Congress legislators from Madhya Pradesh may have returned to Bhopal on Saturday evening, all the 21 MLAs released videos to claim that they were still in Bengaluru.

Each of the 21 MLAs claimed that they were staying in Bengaluru of their own will and will return to Bhopal only after adequate security is assured to them.

Even though Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon asked MP Chief Minister Kamal Nath to prove majority through a trust vote in the Vidhan Sabha on Monday, suspense prevailed on Sunday whether the Governor’s directions would be followed or not. The MLAs in Bengaluru too hinted that they that may not return for the trust vote.

They insisted that they had already submitted their resignations and that their loyalties lay with Jyothiraditya Scindia.

“I have already submitted my resignation to the Speaker. I wanted to go to Madhya Pradesh, but have decided to stay back in Bengaluru. We had sought CRPF security given the situation there. We are not in anyone’s custody here and do not want to be in anyone’s custody there as well. We want to meet the Speaker and Governor personally, but we are not being provided security by CRPF as sought. I believe that my relatives are being used to file police complaints and attempts will be made to stop me,” said Manoj Chaudhary, MLA, Dewas assembly constituency.

Chaudhary’s statement comes two days after his father, accompanied by MP Congress leaders such as Jitendra Patwari and KPCC president DK Shivakumar, filed a complaint with the Karnataka police, alleging that his son was being held captive at the resort.

Sixteen of the 21 MLAs wrote a second letter to the Speaker on Sunday urging him to accept their resignations.

They have sought swift action like in the case of six ministers loyal to Scindia.The MLAs are now expected to take a decision on their return to Bhopal only after the fallout of the floor test.

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