Will go to Bengaluru if needed: Kamal Nath on rebel MLAs

Bhopal, Mar 18: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister is mulling to go to Bengaluru to meet 16 rebel MLAs currently staying at a resort there, as his government is on a shaky ground following the resignation of these and six more legislators.

Talking to reporters here in response to a query, Nath said, 'If needed I will also go to Bengaluru.' Nath's party colleague Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday failed to meet the rebel MLAs in Bengaluru.

High drama unfolded as Singh staged a protest near the resort in Bengaluru, where the legislators are staying. He accused the police of not allowing him to meet the MLAs.

A source close to Kamal Nath said that he (CM) had already tried to contact Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa over phone to visit Bengaluru, but could not get through.

Twenty-two legislators have revolted against the Congress-led government in the state and put in their papers last week.

Of them, the resignation of six legislators has been accepted.

Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta alleged that the saffron party has held their MLAs hostages in Bengaluru in a bid to pull down the MP government.

'They are not allowing our leaders to meet the MLAs.

Our minister, Jitu Patwari, had also gone there, but he was manhandled,' he alleged.

The BJP has sought to distance itself from the revolt in the Congress saying that it was the fallout of the infighting within the party's rival factions in th state.

State BJP chief, V D Sharma, said his party had nothing to do with the rebels in the Congress.

The Kamal Nath government plunged into crisis after Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the Congress, after which 22 MLAs loyal to him resigned in Madhya Pradesh last week.

Buoyed by the revolt in the Congress, the BJP has been vociferously seeking a floor test in the assembly.

The Speaker has so far accepted resignations of six of the 22 MLAs, bringing down the effective strength of the House to 222 and the new majority mark at 112. The opposition BJP has 107 MLAs.

After the MP assembly was adjourned on Monday till March 26, the BJP petitioned the Supreme Court seeking a direction from it for an early floor test.