Amid fears of poaching, MP CM Kamal Nath deploys intelligence sleuths on Congress MLAs: Sources

Amid fears of 'horse-trading' by the BJP, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has deployed state intelligence sleuths on his own party’s vulnerable MLAs and ministers, according to highly placed sources. Fearing toppling bid by the BJP, the sources said that Chief Minister Kamal Nath was keeping a close vigil on the activities of Congress MLAs and ministers who are under the radar of the intelligence sleuths.

The move came after Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Gopal Bhargava claimed that the Congress-led government in the state was in minority and wrote to Governor Anandiben Patel seeking special Assembly session.

Following the Congress party’s debacle in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has also swung into the action. After the election results, the saffron party’s vice-president and Madhya Pradesh in-charge Vinay Sahasrabuddhe had said that the Kamalnath government will fall on its own due to internal contradictions.

“This government has been bogged down by internal contradictions from day one,” Sahasrabuddhe said, adding that the BJP will not topple the government.

Ever since the Lok Sabha election results were declared, there have been reports of discontent among the Congress MLAs in Madhya Pradesh. The BJP had swept the general elections in Madhya Pradesh by winning 28 of the 29 seats. The results have put the Congress government in the state in a vulnerable position.

In the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, the Congress has 114 seats. After emerging as the single largest party, the Congress formed the government with the support of two BSP MLAs, one Samajwadi Party legislator and four independents. The BJP too is not far behind with 109 seats.