‘Be ready for floor test’: Madhya Pradesh CM to MLAs

The Congress has 114 legislators in the state assembly and has support of six other MLAs – one each of SP and BSP and four independents in the 230 member house. The opposition BJP has 108 MLAs.

Updated on: Jul 9, 2019, 01:00:30 IST

Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By Shruti Tomar

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Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath has asked all legislators supporting the Congress government in the state to be ready for a floor test in the assembly in the event the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party comes up with such a demand.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath met lawmakers of the Congress and allies in Bhopal today in the first day of the budget session of the state assembly. (HT Photo)

There is speculation that the BJP was planning to put the government on the mat in the monsoon session of the assembly beginning Monday. In May, it had demanded that the Kamal Nath government prove its majority on the floor of the House.

The Congress has 114 legislators in the state assembly and has support of six other legislators — one each from the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party and four independents in the 230-member House. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has 108 MLAs.

“It is mandatory for all the Congress MLAs and other MLAs supporting the government to remain present in the assembly during the monsoon session. The opposition can come up with any demand [referring to floor test] and we should be ready for the floor test to pass the budget,” the CM said at a meeting of MLAs.

“The MLAs should keep their beliefs in the more than 130-year- old Congress party intact. BJP leaders will try to lure our members but we shouldn’t fall prey. We don’t need to be afraid of BJP’s design and false claim,” Nath added.

Confirming the BJP strategy, Gopal Bhargava, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, said the Congress was not sure about their strength in the House. “This session is going to be very interesting. We will raise all the issues related to the failure of the government in the House and will also go for a floor test. There is a possibility, they (the government) will be voted out in the House,” he said.

Surendra Singh, independent legislator from Burhanpur, said there is no threat to the government but the Congress should fulfill its promise of ministerial berth. Some of the Congress MLAs also expressed their disappointment over not getting cabinet berth. However, other Congress legislators said that there was no threat to the government.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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