A day after the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka collapsed, BJP MLA and leader of opposition in Madhya Pradesh, Gopal Bhargava, triggered a storm after he claimed that the Kamal Nath government in the state would not survive even 24 hours if the BJP leadership gave them the signal.
"This government can fall within 24 hours if our number one and number two give us the desired signal," he said in the state assembly on Wednesday.
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Bhargava's comment comes amid allegations by the opposition parties that the BJP is trying to topple governments in the states, where it is not in power, through “horse-trading”.
Later, talking to ANI, the senior BJP leader said that the situation in Madhya Pradesh was much worse than that in Karnataka.
“It is a coalition based not on any ideological compatibility or principles, but on greed. The day their demands are not met, the coalition will fall,” he said, adding that “It is a big surprise that the (Madhya Pradesh) government has managed to stay in power for seven months.
Bhargava's remarks drew sharp reaction from the Congress with Chief Minister Kamal Nath saying, “"Your top number one and number two are sensible, that is why they are not giving such orders. You are free to bring in a no-confidence motion."
In the 231-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the Congress has 114 seats while the BJP has 109. The grand old party managed to form the government under Chief Minister Kamal Nath, with the support of BSP, SP and a few independent MLAs. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, however, the Congress suffered a massive drubbing in the state.
