Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. (File photo: PTI)

BHOPAL: Speaker NP Prajapati late on Saturday evening accepted the resignation of six Jyotiraditya Scindia loyalist former ministers of the Kamal Nath government. Their membership from the state assembly as legislators stand annulled and their resignations accepted. The former ministers are Imarti Devi, Pradyumn Singh Tomar, Govind Singh Rajput, Prabhuram Choudhary, Mahendra Singh Sisodia and Tulsiram Silawat.

All six along with 16 other Congress MLAs are allegedly lodged in a resort in Bangalore by the BJP. On March 10, former BJP minister Bhupendra Singh came to the state capital with resignations of all 22 rebel Congress MLAs including the six former ministers who went incommunicado on March 7 and later surfaced in Bangalore.

On recommendation of chief minister Kamal Nath, the six ministers were expelled from the cabinet by Governor Lalji Tandon on Thursday.

In a statement issued on late Saturday evening, speaker NP Prajapati said, “The membership of six ministers who were expelled from the cabinet on recommendation of chief minister Kamal Nath have been terminated from the Madhya Pradesh assembly. Their resignations have been accepted. The members were given an opportunity to appear before me the first time on March 13 between 3:30 pm and 6 pm. But they failed to turn-up and later, on Saturday, they were again asked to meet me between 12:45 pm and 2:45 pm.”

Speaker said that the former ministers failed to present themselves before him even on Saturday. “All these members have already been removed by the Governor from the state cabinet. The conduct of concerned members are surprising. They are not fit to be members of the state assembly. Hence, as per the Rules of Conduct of Madhya Pradesh Assembly and under Rule 276 (1b), the resignations tendered by all the six members have been accepted.”

With this development, strength of Madhya Pradesh assembly has been reduced from 230 to 222 seats -- two vacant because of deaths of MLAs from Jaura seat Banwarilal Sharma and Agar-Malwa constituency Manohar Utwal plus the acceptance of resignations of six former ministers.

The Congress had a total of 115 party MLAs after Jhabua bypoll victory in October last year and with support of two BSP, one SP and four independents had a total 122 seats. The BJP had 108. The arithmetic now stands at Congress with 108 party MLAs (115 if Congress alliance members are counted) and BJP has 107. Till now, the seven alliance MLAs are with Congress party. But 16 Congress MLAs are still in Bangalore out of reach of the state government. They have also sent their resignations on March 10 but speaker has not accepted them yet.

Budget session of the state assembly commences at 11 am on Monday. Minister for legislative affairs Dr Govind Singh issued a whip to Congress Legislative Party (CLP) members to be present in the House throughout the session from 16 March to April 13.

On Saturday evening BJP leaders Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Gopal Bhargava, Narottam Mishra, Rampal Singh and Bhupendra Singh met Governor Tandon and demanded a floor-test before the Governor’s address.

Reacting on the resignation acceptance of the six former ministers, LOP Gopal Bhargava said, “I received information that Speaker has accepted the resignations of six Congress MLAs who were ministers. But there are 22 MLAs who had sent resignations in their own handwriting to the Governor and the Speaker. Now only six MLAs resignations being accepted is dual policy of the Speaker. If the 16 other MLAs have also sent their resignations, then why not accept their papers too? Speaker is not being unbiased in his treatment of resignations because the chair is respected.”

