Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister Gyan Singh is a member of the Lok Sabha from Shahdol. He is the only politician in the country who is a minister in his state while being a Member of Parliament at the Centre. As per rules, one has to be member of the state assembly to be a minister of state.
The tribal poster boy of BJP, Gyan Singh, 65, rose to prominence in 2012 when he was manhandled by Congress MLAs in the state assembly. He was officiating as speaker when Congress MLAs protested. Later, as a political reward, he was made minister in the BJP government. BJP presented him as their tribal face. In 2013, he was again made minister, but in November 2016, was forced to contest the Lok Sabha bypoll from Shahdol.
Gyan Singh did not want to contest, but had to obey the party decision. However, he put a condition that he will not resign from the post of state minister, and his son be made the BJP candidate from the assembly seat that fell vacant because of his election to Lok Sabha.
Gyan Singh won the Lok Sabha seat by defeating the young Congress candidate, Himadri Singh by a margin of about 60,000 votes. Subsequently, he took oath in Parliament on December 6. He also got his son, Shivnarayan Singh elected as MLA in April this year in a bypoll from his assembly seat, Bandhavgarh.
Even after taking oath in the Lok Sabha, Gyan Singh continues to function as a minister in the state government. He participates in cabinet meetings as well. Last month, he even sat in the assembly house when his son took his oath as a MLA. It was only after a Vidhan Sabha official pointed out that he went and sat in the speaker’s office.
Water and Irrigation Minister Narottam Mishra told the media that there is still some time left for him to complete six months. According to rules, one can be a minister for six months even if one is not elected as a member of the assembly.
The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, in keeping the promise given to Gyan Singh by the party, has not directly asked the minister to give his resignation. They are hoping that he will do so himself. However, Gyan Singh is clear that he knows the importance of being a cabinet minister instead of a being a Member of Parliament alone.
Gyan Singh refused to comment on the situation, but leader of opposition, Ajay Singh said, “The blatant misuse of parliamentary traditions and rules have become the hallmark of the BJP government. They have lost the sense of ethics and morality.”
Meanwhile, BJP sources say that Gyan Singh has reportedly told his party that he is ready to quit provided his son Shivnarayan is made minister.
