Madhya Pradesh government in minority, claims BJP, demands special Assembly session

In a surprising development, the BJP has written to Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, claiming that the Congress government in the state was in minority and demanded a special Assembly session, according to reports.

The development came a day after exit polls predicted clear victory for the BJP led NDA and hours after Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava claimed that the Congress government in the state will fall "soon".

"It will fall on its own (MP Government), I don't believe in horse-trading but I feel its time has come and it will have to go soon," ANI news agency had quoted the BJP leader as saying.

Last year, the Congress had wrested power from the BJP after 15 years. The Congress emerged as the single largest party with a very thin margin and formed the government with the support of Mayawati’s BSP and Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party.

In the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the Congress has 114 MLAs and is supported by four Independents, two BSP MLAs and one Samajwadi Party MLA. The BJP has 109 MLAs.

Recently, BSP chief Mayawati had also threatened to pull back her party's support from the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, alleging the rulling party of intimidating her candidates. "The Congress will have to pay a heavy price for this when time comes. Due to similar acts, we brought down the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government," she had said.

The threat from the BSP chief had come after Lokendra Singh Rajput, BSP candidate from Madhya Pradesh's Guna, joined the Congress in presence of Jyotiraditya Scindia.