MP political crisis deepens as 17 Congress MLAs, considered close to Scindia, fly out to BJP-ruled Karnataka

The political crisis deepened in Madhya Pradesh with at least 17 Congress MLAs of Jyotiraditya Scindia 'camp' going 'incommunicado' on Monday ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

Reports said that these MLAs have been flown to Bengaluru in BJP-ruled Karnataka. 

Scindia, on the other hand, was seen in Delhi on Monday. 

This comes amid the reports of infighting in the Madhya Pradesh Congress and allegations of poaching. The Congress had earlier accused the BJP of trying to poach its MLAs to topple the Kamal Nath-led government, which enjoys a wafer-thin majority in the House.

The infighting comes ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls which are scheduled to be held on March 26. The nominations for the three seats of Rajya Sabha will close on March 13. 

The terms of three Rajya Sabha MPs - Congress' Digvijay Singh, BJP' Prabhat Jha and Satyanarayan Jatiya - will end on April 9. 

Both the parties are sure to win one Rajya Sabha seat each, but a tussle is likely for the third seat.

While the Congress has 114 MLAs, the opposition BJP has 107 legislators in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly. Four Independent MLAs, two BSP lawmakers and one Samajwadi Party legislator are also supporting the Congress government. There are currently two vacant seats in the house.

Earlier on Monday, Nath met top Congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, in Delhi to meet top to discuss the current political situation in the state.  

He returned to Bhopal after cutting short his visit, PTI reported. 

According to a PTI report, mobile phones of at least six ministers, who are supporters former Guna MP Scindia, are switched off. 

The mobile phones of health minister Tulsi Silavat, labour minister Mahendra Singh Sisodia, transport minister Govind Singh Rajput, women and child development minister Imarti Devi, food and civil supplies minister Pradyumna Singh Tomar and school education minister Dr Prabhura Choudhary were switched off, the agency reported.

Digvijaya Singh, considered close to Kamal Nath, was seen arriving at the residence of the chief minister on Monday evening. 

Last week, the Congress barely averted the crisis after eight of the ten Congress MLAs, who went 'missing', returned and expressed their support to Kamal Nath government in the state. 

The Congress had accused the BJP of trying to sabotage its government in the state. 

Even on Monday, Nath said the BJP was "perturbed" as it could not see that "corruption, done during their 15 years of rule, was going to be exposed."

(With agencies)