Madhya Pradesh government crisis: 10 things you need to know

In a major political development in Madhya Pradesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia has tendered his resignation to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

"It is time for me to move on," Scindia said in his resignation letter. The Congress leader has received Rajya Sabha ticket from the BJP.

On March 9, 20 ministers resigned from their posts reposing faith in his leadership. As a result, the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh plunged into a crisis.

While Chief Minister Kamal Nath alleged that the BJP was adopting immoral ways to "destabilise my government" and vowed not to let it happen, Scindia kept his cards close to his chest and there was no word from him on the developments.

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Here are 10 things that you should know:

1. On March 9, 17 Congress MLAs from Madhya Pradesh apparently went missing. The MLAs, who are believed to be supporters of Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, were traced to Bengaluru in Karnataka. Following the developments, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath called a late-night meeting of his cabinet.

2. Twenty of the 28 ministers who were present at the meeting resigned in an effort to allow Kamal Nath to rejig the cabinet and placate the 'rebel' MLAs.

3. Meanwhile, the BJP has called a meeting of its MLAs on Tuesday. During the meeting, Shivraj Singh Chouhan may be elected as the leader of the legislature party, reported PTI quoting sources.

Also read — This is Congress' internal matter, Kamal Nath govt is falling: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

4. Trouble has been brewing in the party for quite some time. The party had last week accused the BJP of trying to topple its government after 10 MLAs of the ruling party and those of its allies travelled to Haryana. The BJP, however, has denied the charge.

5. A glance at the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly numbers, where Congress and its allies hold 121 seats and BJP 109 seats, indicate that if the faction supporting Scindia defects, the government may collapse. If Jyotiraditya Scindia and the 17 MLAs who are said to be supporting him join the BJP, the saffron party will be able to cross the magic number -- 115 in the Assembly.

6. Scindia and Nath have fallen out over the post of the state Congress president, which is currently held by the Chief Minister.

7. The move comes ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls in the state. Yesterday, a section of Congress leaders, mostly of Kamal Nath camp, had demanded that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra be nominated from the state for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls. It was seen by many as an attempt to thwart Scindia's chance to reach the Upper House.

Also read — Madhya Pradesh govt crisis: Jyotiraditya Scindia meets PM Modi

8. As per the arithmetic in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the two parties are sure to win one Rajya Sabha seat each, but a tussle is likely for the third seat. Two Assembly seats are vacant following the demise of a Congress and a BJP legislator.

9. In the meeting yesterday, the ministers requested the Chief Minister to reconstitute the cabinet, in an apparent move to quell dissent in the party by accommodating some of the rebel MLAs in the council of ministers.

10. Speculations about the fate of his government sparked after a faction led by senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia who, along with at least 17 legislators, went incommunicado.