Prove your majority by Tuesday: MP Governor to Kamal Nath

Bhopal, Mar 16: Governor Lalji Tandon on Monday issued fresh directive to Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh to prove its majority by Tuesday, failing to which it would be considered that the present government lacks majority in the state.

The move comes hours after Kamal Nath government appeared to have snagged a 10-day reprieve after the assembly session was adjourned without any trust vote until March 26 over coronavirus.

The Governor also condemned the Chief Minister's letter to him criticising him for asking the Speaker for a trust vote today as "meaningless, baseless" and against constitutional values.

"I am sorry that the sentiment and language of the reply you have given to my letter is not compatible with the parliamentary norms," Governor Lalji Tandon said.

"It is a pity that instead of proving your majority in the time period I have given you, you wrote this letter to express your inability to get a vote of confidence in the Legislative Assembly. The reasons you have given for not conducting the floor are baseless and meaningless," the letter written by the governor said.

"If you don't take a floor test by March 17, it will be assumed that you have lost your majority," the letter concluded.

Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh Assembly was adjourned till March 26 after the address of Governor Lalji Tondon without taking the floor test. The BJP had paraded 106 MLAs before Governor Lalji Tandon and had accused the ruling Congress of stalling to cling to power.

After the Speaker accepted the resignation of six Congress MLAs on Saturday, the party now has 108 legislators. These include 16 rebel legislators who have also put in their papers but their resignations are yet to be accepted.

The BJP has 107 seats in the House, which now has an effective strength of 222, with the majority mark being 112.