Congress plans no-confidence motion against BJP government in Madhya Pradesh

The Congress has submitted a notice for the motion as per rules, but whether it will be accepted by the assembly secretariat will be known when the House proceedings begin on Monday.

With the last session of the Madhya Pradesh assembly’s current term starting on Monday, the Opposition Congress plans to corner the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with a no-confidence motion against the government ahead of the upcoming state polls.

Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs stage a protest at the state assembly in Bhopal. (PTI file photo)

The state assembly elections are due in November this year.

The Congress has submitted a notice for the motion as per rules, but whether it will be accepted by the assembly secretariat will be known when the House proceedings begin on Monday.

The ruling BJP has 166 members (including the Speaker) in the 230-member assembly, while the Congress has 57 and the BSP 4. There were 3 Independent MLAs, but one of them, Dinesh Rai from Seoni assembly constituency, joined the BJP last month.

Despite just five days of the monsoon session, it is likely to witness political fireworks as parties will go out to face the electorate soon.

The Congress legislature party held a meeting on Sunday to chalk out its strategy.

Leader of opposition in state assembly Ajay Singh said, “We will raise the issue of ministers’ corruption in particular and rampant corruption in the government in general through a no-confidence motion. We will also raise the issue of farmers’ suicide and the loan burden on them.”

Parliamentary affairs minister Narottam Mishra of the BJP said, “The government is not afraid of a no-confidence motion but leader of opposition must win the confidence of his colleagues. The fact is that there was no signature on the notice meant for the motion by any other Congress MLA.”