Madhya Pradesh Governor Asks Speaker To Hold Floor Test On Monday

The Governor said in the order that the floor test will be completed on March 16, and the exercise cannot be “deferred, delayed or suspended”.

Bhopal: 

Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon has directed assembly Speaker Narmada Prasad Prajapati to hold a floor test tomorrow, days after 22 Congress MLAs resigned en masse putting in danger Kamal Nath’s 15-month-old government.

“The Madhya Pradesh Assembly’s session will commence at 16 March, 2020 at 11 am, and after my address to the assembly, the first work to be conducted will be voting on trust vote,” the Governor said in his order.

“The division on the trust vote will take place by pressing the button, no other mode of voting will be acceptable,” he added.

He also said in the order that the floor test will have to be completed on March 16, and the exercise cannot be “deferred, delayed or suspended”.

The Speaker on Saturday accepted the resignations of six rebel ministers. The decision brought down the majority mark in the House to 113, just two less than the number of MLAs supporting the Congress.

After the acceptance of their resignations, the effective strength of the 230-member assembly has shrunk to 222 (two seats were already vacant due the death of two MLAs). The Congress has 108 MLAs in the House, and the support of seven allied legislators. If the resignations of the remaining rebel MLAs are accepted, the Congress’s strength will come way below the majority mark, and the BJP, with 107 MLAs, will become the largest party.

The rebel MLAs are currently huddled together in Bengaluru. The Congress says the BJP has held them captive.

Kamal Nath yesterday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging him to ensure the “release” of the MLAs.

“Please use your power as Union Home Minister so that 22 Congress MLAs held captive can safely reach Madhya Pradesh and participate in the assembly session beginning from March 16, without any allurement and fear,” the letter, shared by Congress spokesperson with the media, said.