Another Congress MLA quits in Madhya Pradesh, party blames the BJP

MP Congress has alleged that BJP is indulging in horse trading in the state.

Another Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Sumitra Devi Kasdekar (36), resigned on Friday from the state legislative assembly, becoming the second party MLA to quit within a week, taking the total number of Congress law-makers who have resigned since March to 24.

Twenty four Congress MLAs have quited Madhya Pradesh assembly so far since March. (ANI Photo)

Earlier, Pradyumn Singh Lodhi (52), who represented Malhara assembly constituency in Bundelkhand region, resigned on Sunday last. Like Lodhi, Savitri Devi is a first-timer legislator in the state assembly. She represents Nepanagar (ST) state assembly seat in Burhanpur district, according to the state assembly secretariat.

Though Lodhi joined the BJP after quitting from the state assembly and was immediately appointed chairman of Madhya Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation by the BJP government in the state, there is no information about Savitri Devi’s next move.

State assembly principal secretary AP Singh confirmed the Congress MLA’s resignation.

“MLA Sumitra Devi from Nepanagar (ST) state assembly constituency submitted her resignation at 3 pm today. The (protem) speaker has accepted the resignation with effect from July 17, 2020. Thus, the assembly seat has fallen vacant,” said Singh.

Despite efforts, the MLA couldn’t be contacted for her comments. Her mobile phone was constantly found to be switched off.

The state Congress, while admitting that Sumitra Devi had quit the party and resigned from the assembly, accused the BJP of indulging in the politics of horse trading.

State Congress president Kamal Nath’s media coordinator Narendra Saluja said, “Sumitra Devi has left the party and resigned from the state assembly. This is all a result of dirty politics and horse trading done by the BJP leaders as they know that they can’t win the state assembly bypolls to be held for 24 assembly seats in the state in the coming months. That’s why they are trying to create such a situation that even after BJP loses in the bypolls, it could still maintain the majority in the House on the basis of the effective strength of the state assembly.”

State BJP media in charge Lokendra Parashar said, the party was aware that Savitri Devi had resigned from the state assembly and added that she has not joined the BJP.

-Ends