BJP attempting to poach MLAs, but Cong govt in MP completely secure: Scindia

PTI, Mar 4, 2020, 2:55 PM IST

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday accused the BJP of orchestrating a move to “poach” the legislators of his party in Madhya Pradesh, but asserted that Congress government in the state was “completely secure and stable”.

State minister Jitu Patwari has alleged that BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh have taken eight MLAs to a hotel in Haryana as part of a conspiracy to topple the Kamal Nath government. The BJP has denied the charge.

“This is 100 per cent an attempt to poach (MLAs). We are united and our government is stable. We have counted the numbers and there is no threat to the government (in Madhya Pradesh),” the Congress general secretary told PTI.

The former Union minister said the incidents that took place late on Tuesday night in Gurgaon near the national capital, were “obviously orchestrated by the BJP.”

“I have been at work as I was in Gwalior yesterday (Tuesday)… but I can tell you that the government in the state is completely secure,” he said.

In the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the Congress has 114 MLAs, followed by the BJP 107. The simple majority mark is 116.

The Congress-led state government has the support of four Independent MLAs, two Bahujan Samaj Party legislators and one of the Samajwadi Party.

Two seats are currently vacant following the demise of a Congress and a BJP legislator.