Madhya Pradesh: 8-10 MLAs don't want to leave Congress, says Scindia loyalist

A senior leader close to Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday claimed "8-10 MLAs held captive in Bengaluru" do not want to resign from the Congress.

The Congress-led Kamal Nath government in the state is on the verge of collapse after Scindia revolted and joined the BJP, and 22 of his supporter MLAs submitted their resignations.

State Congress working president and former minister Ramniwas Rawat, who has been close to the Scindia family for the past three decades, said, "Eight to ten MLAs held captive in Bengaluru are under pressure. I have talked to them. They don't want to resign from the party."

Speaking at a press conference at the Congress office, Rawat said, "These MLAs who were taken to Bengaluru were not informed for what reason they were called. They were misled and told to resign, for which they were not ready. Now, the (Assembly) speaker has served them notices. So these MLAs should come and clarify that they have not resigned under duress."

When asked how he managed to contact the sequestered MLAs when even their families have claimed that getting in touch was not possible, Rawat just said, "This should remain a secret."

Rawat said he was loyal to Jyotiraditya's father late Madhavrao Scindia and had even left the Congress when the senior Scindia formed the MP Vikas Congress.

"I have respect for the Scindia family but I will always be with the Congress," he said, claiming Jyotiraditya left the party as he thought it would not grow in the future.

"I agree with Rahul Gandhi that Scindia abandoned his ideology out of concern about his political future," Rawat said.

Meanwhile, the BJP has shifted its MLAs to Manesar in Haryana, where the party is in power. Ruling Congress MLAs are in Jaipur in Rajasthan.