In a setback to Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, Congress MLA Hardeep Singh Dang has reportedly sent his resignation to state assembly Speaker NP Prajapati on Thursday.
According to reports, Hardeep Singh Dang, a legislator from Suwasra assembly seat in Mandasur, was among the four disgruntled MLAs who were allegedly in touch with the BJP in an effort to bring down the Congress government in the Madhya Pradesh.
Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker, NP Prajapati: I have received the news of Hardeep Singh Dang’s resignation. He has not tendered his resignation to me in person. When he submits his resignation to me, I will consider it as per the rules & take necessary action. (file pic) https://t.co/mnHKrOizfe pic.twitter.com/KplyfWy8Pp
— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2020
The other disgruntled Congress legislators are Bisahulal Singh, Raghuraj Kansana and Independent MLA Thakur Surendra Singh. The family of Bisahulal Singh on Thursday had even lodged a missing person’s complaint in Bhopal.
In his resignation letter written to Speaker Prajapati, Hardeep Dang said despite getting the people’s mandate for a second time, he is constantly being ignored by the party. “None of the ministers are ready to work as they are part of a corrupt government,” his letter read.
In the resignation letter scripted on Dang’s official letterhead, the MLA alleged gross apathy and negligence in his own government and said he had been unable to work for his constituency since the Congress came to power. He claimed that ministers were not listening to him and his workers were required to make rounds of Bhopal to get even small work done.
However, the speaker has said he is yet to receive the resignation letter sent by Dang. “He has not tendered his resignation to me in person. When he submits the same to me, I will consider it as per the rules and take necessary action,” Speaker Prajapati said.
Reacting to Dang’s resignation, Chief Minister Kamal Nath said, “I have received information about Hardeep Singh Dang’s resignation. I have not yet received any letter from him or discussed the matter in person. Until I meet him personally, making comments over it will not be appropriate.”
Reportedly, Hardeep Dang is the only Sikh in the MP assembly and was expecting a ministerial berth as he belonged to a minority community. In fact, Dang was the only Congress MLA elected from Mandsaur district in the 2018 state assembly elections.
Earlier, the panic-stricken Congress leadership had accused the BJP of ‘kidnapping’ its MLAs and had alleged that their MLAs were taken to either Bengaluru or Chikmagalur in Karnataka. The Congress claimed that the BJP had ‘abducted’ 14 MLAs to bring down its government in Madhya Pradesh.
However, the BJP denied the Congress’ allegation that the saffron party was trying to poach its MLAs to bring down the Kamal Nath government.
The Kamal Nath government has 120 MLAs – four over the majority mark of 116 in the 230-member assembly. Of them, 114 are from the Congress, two from the BSP, one from the Samajwadi Party and four independents. The BJP has 107 MLAs and two seats are currently vacant.
