Madhya Pradesh crisis: 16 MLAs ask Speaker to accept their resignations

Sixteen of the 22 Congress MLAs who quit the Madhya Pradesh Assembly after senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia revolted and joined the BJP have requested Legislative Assembly Speaker NP Prajapati to accept their resignations.

In their letters to the speaker, the MLAs said they were unable to be present in person before him due to the "poor" law and order situation in the state.

Notably, Governor Lalji Tandon has ordered a floor test on Monday, when the budget session of the Assembly starts.

The Speaker on March 14 accepted the resignations of six of the 22 MLAs who were ministers in the Kamal Nath-led government.

In the identical letters dated March 15, these 16 MLAs told Prajapati to accept their resignations like he did in the case of six others.

While the Speaker had asked these MLAs to appear in person and issued notices, the letters stated their inability to do so due to the poor law and order situation in MP.

These 16 MLAs are: Jajpal Singh Jajji (Ashok Nagar), Brajendra Singh Yadav (Mungaoli), Ranvir Singh Jatav (Gohad), Kamlesh Jatav (Ambah), Girraj Dandotiya (Dimni), Manoj Choudhary (Hatpipalya), OPS Bhadoriya (Mehgaon), Raksha Santram Sironiya (Bhander), Suresh Dhakad (Pohri), Rajyavardhan Singh (Badnawar), Bisahulal Singh (Anuppur), Hardeep Singh Dang (Suwasara), Jasmant Singh Jatav (Karera), Munnalal Goyal (Gwalior East), Raghuraj Kansana (Morena) and Aidal Singh Kansana (Sumaoli).

The resignations of ministers Imarati Devi, Tulsi Silawat, Govind Singh Rajput, Mahendra Singh Sisodiya, Pradyumn Singh Tomar and Prabhuram Chaudhari were accepted on Saturday.

"These MLAs have written letters to the speaker to accept their resignations like he did in six other cases. These letters were sent through mails and other media to the speaker," said Pankaj Chaturvedi a close aide of Scindia.