The BJP has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking floor test in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, after Speaker N.P. Prajapati adjourned the House till May 26 citing the coronavirus outbreak.
The budget session commenced after a brief address by the governor, following which MLAs of the BJP raised the demand for a floor test, triggering an uproar. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Govind Singh raised the issue of coronavirus threat in the country and also mentioned the Central government's advisory. The speaker accepted Singh's plea and adjourned the House till March 26. Tandon's customary address to the Assembly lasted just a minute. "All must follow the rules under the Constitution so that dignity of Madhya Pradesh remains protected," Tandon was quoted by ANI as saying. As Tandon was leaving the Assembly, Congress legislators raised slogans calling for the Constitution to be respected. After news of the Assembly being adjourned emerged, BJP MLAs protested outside the House.
Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon had directed Chief Minister Kamal Nath to seek a trust vote in the Assembly soon after the governor's address in the House today. The governor had stipulated that the floor test should be completed today and cannot be adjourned, delayed or suspended. "Under Article 174 and 175(2) of the Constitution, I am empowered to direct that MP Assembly session will begin on March 16 at 11am with my address. Soon after that, the only work to be done is the trust vote," the governor said in the letter.
But, Chief Minister Kamal Nath had responded to Tandon claiming that the opposition BJP was holding the rebel MLAs captive in Bengaluru and a floor test would be undemocratic in the absence of these legislators.
The Congress-led government was pushed to the brink following the resignation of 22 MLAs, who are believed to be loyalists of former Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia who defected to the BJP. The opposition BJP, claiming that the Congress-led government had lost majority, had pushed for immediate floor test. A delegation of the party met the governor on Saturday to make a demand in this regard. The BJP leaders said that a government in minority does not have the constitutional right to convene a budget session or get the governor's address delivered.
-Inputs from PTI
