WEB DESK
The Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh appears to have slipped into the minority as 22 Congress MLAs, including six ministers, sent in their resignations shortly after Mr Scindia walked out of the party. 19 MLAs sent their resignation letters to Raj Bhavan while Bisahulal Singh, Edal Singh Kansana and Manoj Choudhary submitted their resignation letters to the Assembly speaker.
The actual strength of the Madhya Pradesh assembly is 230. With two seats vacant, the effective strength is 228.
However, with the resignation of the 22 MLAs, the strength of the Assembly will be 206 and the magic number required to prove a majority will be 104.
The Congress had 114 MLAs of its own but the resignations bring down its tally in the Assembly to 92. The party is also supported by two legislators of the BSP, one of the SP and four Independents. The BJP has 107 MLAs in the assembly.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party MLA Rajesh Shukla and BSP MLA Sanjeev Kushwaha met senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at his residence in Bhopal. After meeting, Mr Chouhan said, this was just a holi meeting, and there is no politics in it.
Earlier Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia today resigned from primary membership of the party amid the political crisis in Madhya Pradesh. In his resignation letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Scindia said that he had been in the party for the past 18 years. But, he said, he is unable to serve the people of his state and the country by staying in the party any more.
On the other hand, the Congress said that Mr Scindia has been expelled from the party for his anti-party activities. Earlier in the day, Mr. Scindia met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.