Kamal Nath's floor test today, speaker accepts resignation of 16 Congress MLAs

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Kamal Nath's floor test today, speaker accepts resignation of 16 Congress MLAs
Kamal Nath's floor test today, speaker accepts resignation of 16 Congress MLAs

Bhopal : Madhya Pradesh Assembly speaker NP Prajapati announced that he has accepted the resignations of 16 Congress MLAs who have been camping in Bengaluru from past 10 days.

The surprise move by the speaker ahead of the floor test has reduced the total strength of the house to 206. With this the majority mark has also declined to 104, raising serious doubts on the survival of Kamal Nath government. 

The BJP, the lead opposition party in the state, has 107 MLAs as compared to 92 of the Congress, 4 independents, 2 of BSP and 1 SP lawmaker.

The speaker had earlier accepted the resignation of six Congress MLAs who were considered loyal to ex-Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Congress had made several efforts to reach out to the rebel MLAs over the last few days. But the MLAs - who were approached by chief minister Kamal Nath, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar and cabinet ministers - refused to budge.

The formal notification convening the assembly to meet at 2 pm was issued by the assembly secretariat well past midnight. Speaker Prajapati had abruptly adjourned the House on March 16 to meet at 11 am on March 26, citing the risk posed by the coronavirus outbreak.

The Supreme Court on Thursday intervened and asked Kamal Nath to go for a floor test and prove majority by 5 PM on Friday.