BJP will lose power in MP after bypoll results: Cong leader

Accusing the BJP of forming the government in Madhya Pradesh through "backdoor" earlier this year, Congress's state working president Jitu Patwari on Wednesday said that after the results of the bypolls to 25 Assembly seats, the saffron party will again be out of power.

He said that the Congress delegation would soon meet the Election Commission (EC) to seek immediate bypolls in the state.

In the 230-member state Assembly, 25 seats are currently lying vacant. Bypolls to these seats are necessitated due to the resignation of 23 leaders from their Assembly membership and death of two sitting legislators.

"After the by-polls, the BJP, which came to power through the backdoor by luring the Congress men, will be out of the government as people will give a befitting reply to it," Patwari told reporters.

"A Congress delegation will soon meet the EC officials to demand that by-elections be held in the state immediately," the former state minister said.

Chouhan took oath as chief minister for a record fourth term on March 23, after Kamal Nath resigned from the post following rebellion by 22 MLAs of the Congress.

Out of the 22 MLAs who walked away with former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, 14 were inducted into the cabinet by Chouhan. All of them are not legislators at present and will have to contest bypolls.

Alleging that the current BJP government was indulging in corruption and luring other MLAs, he said, "That is why, holding by-polls soon is very essential."

Referring to Jyotiraditya Scindia's allegations of corruption during the previous Congress rule in the state, Patwari said that the BJP leader was leveling "baseless" charges.

He asked Scindia to provide the proof of corruption in different departments like health, women and child development, and transport, during the erstwhile government.

Patwari mentioned these departments as they were held by Scindia supporters during the previous Congress dispensation.

Patwari also alleged that Scindia supporters were given plum portfolios in the Chouhan government as they were aware that they would lose the by-polls.

He claimed that the Congress will depute senior MLAs to keep an eye on these departments and their activities.

Replying to a query, he said that former chief minister Kamal Nath is likely to be elected as the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly.

Patwari also hit out at the Chouhan government saying that although the coronavirus pandemic has not come under control yet, the BJP was organising political rallies in the state.