Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath Announces Resignation Before Trust Vote

Kamal Nath resigns: "I have decided to tender my resignation to the Governor today," Kamal Nath told reporters in Bhopal. The Kamal Nath-led Congress government was supposed to face floor test in Madya Pradesh Assembly today

Photo: ANI

Bhopal: Ending the political suspense and uncertainty in the state, Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath announced that he would submit his resignation to Governor Lalji Tandon, hours ahead of the Supreme Court-directed floor test in the state assembly. "I have decided to tender my resignation to the Governor today," he told reporters in Bhopal.  The announcement came a day after the Supreme Court ordered the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker to conduct a floor test by 5 pm on Friday. Kamal Nath resigned because the Congress did not have the numbers required to prove majority in the house. The arithmetic of the Assembly is likely in favour of the BJP, especially after Speaker N.P. Prajapati accepted the resignation of 16 more Congress MLAs on Thursday night.

Kamal Nath has submitted his resignation to Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon. His letter states "All that has happened in Madhya Pradesh in the last two weeks is a new chapter in the weakening of democratic principles." pic.twitter.com/agzKBsdbxh

— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2020

Addressing a press conference in Bhopal, Kamal Nath said, "Mera kya kasuur tha? (What was my fault)" "The BJP got 15 years to develop the state but it didn't. I got just 15 months of which in two months there was a model code of conduct due to Lok Sabha election," he said. Without naming Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kamal Nath accused him of "conspiring against his government". "My government was able to prove majority in the house on three occasions. The BJP could not tolerate it. So, it conspired with a maharaj (Jyotiraditya Scindia) and 22 greedy MLAs and planned to topple my government," Kamal Nath said, adding that the people of Madhya Pradesh won't forgive these "greedy and rebellious" people. "This is not my betrayal, but it is the betrayal of the people of Madhya Pradesh," he said. The Supreme Court had ordered Kamal Nath government to prove majority after Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and 22 MLAs resigned from the party. Madhya Pradesh Speaker NP Prajapati accepted the resignation of 16 MLAs last night. Resignations of the remaining six were accepted earlier. The Supreme Court, after two days of continuous hearing on former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan's plea, directed to hold a floor test in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly by 5 pm today.