Bhopal, Mar 15 (IANS): The Congress legislators who were lodged in Jaipur for the last few days returned to Bhopal on Sunday amid tight security at the airport. Section 144 was imposed in and around the airport to prevent large scale gathering.
At least 90 Congress legislators have arrived in Bhopal in a special flight on Sunday ahead of the floor test on Monday.
With the Madhya Pradesh governor directing Chief Minister Kamal Nath to seek a trust vote on Monday, the Congress MLAs, who were staying in two resorts in Jaipur, have returned to Bhopal, a Congress leader said.
The MLAs, who landed in Jaipur on March 11 amid a political crisis in Madhya Pradesh triggered by Jyotiraditya Scindia's exit from the Congress, were staying in two luxury resorts in Jaipur. Senior Congress leaders Harish Rawat and party's national secretary Sudhanshu Tripathi are also with them.
Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon has directed Chief Minister Kamal Nath to seek a trust vote in the assembly soon after his address on March 16.
The Madhya Pradesh Congress has issued a whip to all its MLAs asking them to be present in the House from March 16 to April 13 during the Assembly session and vote in favour of the government during the floor test.
Earlier on Saturday, the resignations of six MLAs out of 22 rebel Congress legislators were accepted by Speaker N.P. Prajapati, even as the BJP claimed the Kamal Nath government has lost majority and demanded that a floor test be held before the Budget session starts on Monday.
The strength of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly is down to 222 after 6 ministers were sacked, with the majority mark at 112. Before the rebellion early this week, the Congress tally was 114. It also had the support of four Independent MLAs, two legislators from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and one from the Samajwadi Party (SP).
All is well, say MP Congress legislators who returned to Bhopal
All is well, said Madhya Pradesh Congress legislators who arrived in Bhopal from Jaipur on Sunday ahead of the floor test on Monday.
A total of 94 Congress MLAs along with four independents arrived at Bhopal airport from Jaipur on Sunday amid high expectancy and were driven straight to Marriott hotel in four luxury coaches. The hotel is located just about three kms from the Vidhan Sabha where the Budget session of the state assembly begins on Monday.
Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat and party secretary Sudhanshu Tripathi were also seen with the MLAs.
Tight security has been put in place in and around the Marriott Bhopal hotel.
Congress sources said a legislature party meeting of all the MLAs will be held on Sunday evening.
Former minister Kantilal Bhuria who also returned to Bhopal along with MLAs, said there is no threat to the Kamal Nath government.
"We will win, all is well, we will prove majority in the House, said Pradyumna Singh, a Congress legislator who returned to Bhopal from Jaipur on Sunday morning said.
The Kamal Nath government will have to go through the floor test on Monday following the address by Governor Lalji Tandon. The Governor seems to have tilted the balance by issuing orders for a floor test on Monday.
The BJP is playing out the 'Operation Lotus' on Karnataka pattern and the 22 MLAs including the six whose resignations have been accepted are expected to return to Bhopal later on Sunday.