Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday said that he had received “news reports” that one of the four ruling coalition MLAs who had gone to Haryana earlier this week had quit.
Interestingly, late on Thursday night, two BJP MLAs met with Kamal Nath, triggering speculation that the Congress was trying to woo legislators of the saffron party to retaliate against the ongoing 'poaching' drama.
The Kamal Nath government was plunged into crisis on Tuesday night when at least eight MLAs of the Congress and allied parties were taken to a resort in Gurugram. The Congress claimed the move was planned by the BJP to bring down the state government. The Congress managed to convince four legislators to return.
On Thursday, a resignation letter from one of the 'missing' Congress MLAs, Hardeep Singh Dang, went viral on social media.
"Hardeep Singh Dang is an MLA of our party. I have received news reports about his resignation. However, till now, I have not received any letter in this regard or held discussion with him or personally met him. Till I speak to him in this regard, it is not proper to say anything further," Kamal Nath was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his media coordinator. Narendra Saluja.
Assembly Speaker N.P. Prajapati, too, said he has not received any resignation letter from Dang, the MLA from Suvasra in Mandsaur district. “I have received news of Hardeep Singh Dang's resignation. He has not handed over the resignation letter in person to me. Whenever he will do so personally, I will consider it as per the rules and take necessary action," Prajapati said.
Shortly after news of Dang's resignation emerged, two BJP MLAs—Sanjay Pathak and Narayan Tripathi—met Kamal Nath separately in Bhopal on Thursday night. Narayan Tripathi had met the Assembly speaker also, triggering speculation he had resigned, though the BJP MLA denied this.
Tripathi was quoted by ANI as saying he had come to meet Kamal Nath to discuss issues about the development of his constituency.
Interestingly, before the BJP MLAs arrived to meet Kamal Nath at his residence, Madhya Pradesh Cooperatives Minister Govind Singh told mediapersons "two BJP MLAs would join Congress during the night".
Resignation letter
In his purported resignation letter, Dang has alleged he is feeling neglected since the last 14 months and no minister is ready to do work related to his constituency.
The letter, dated March 5, is addressed to the Assembly speaker. “The people of Suvasra have elected me twice. Fourteen months have passed and I have been neglected. No minister is ready to work. Middlemen and corrupt persons are sitting in the government. I have to make many rounds of Bhopal for people's minor works, but nothing happens," the letter said.
“I am the only (Congress) MLA from the Ujjain division and from the Mandsaur parliamentary constituency, but neither I have been made a minister nor any development work is taking place in my area," it further said.
Police complaint
According to reports, Dang and the other 'missing' MLAs Bisahulal Singh, Raghuraj Singh Kansana and Surendra Singh Shera are in Bengaluru. Shera is an independent MLA, while the other three are Congress MLAs.
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On Thursday, the son of Bisahulal Singh lodged a police complaint in Bhopal, saying his father is missing.
Tejbhan Singh said in the complaint that his father left house in Malviya Nagar in Bhopal at 5pm on March 2, telling them he was going to Raipur in adjoining Chhattisgarh, a police officer said.
Since then, the Congress MLA is "missing" and is untraceable, the officer said.
