Kamal Nath government stable, 4 independents set to become Congress associate members

NEW DELHI: The newly-elected Kamal Nath government of Madhya Pradesh is all set to attain its majority in the Assembly by making up for the two seats the Congress had fallen short of to cross the half-way mark in last week’s Assembly polls.

Four Independent MLAs, sources said, are set to become associated members of the Congress in the Assembly, thereby taking the total strength of the Congress to 118, two seats above the magic figure in the House. The rules give independent MLAs the option of retaining their unattached status or becoming associated members of the parties.

Party sources said the talks with the four independent MLAs –– who had earlier associated with the Congress and are known to be close to Digvijaya Singh –– are now at an advanced stage and it is just a matter of time before they become associated members of the Congress. Sources indicate the possibility of the CM constituting his team of ministers before Christmas.


This, in turn, will also nullify the projected importance of the two BSP and one SP member as “the crucial prop of the government” in managing the majority figures in the Assembly. Now, it will be up to these BSP and SP MLAs to decide whether they should remain outside supporters of the state government or want to make their own ‘autonomous decision makers’ even as the ruling side MLAs are lobbying hard for ministerial berths.

In the 230-member Assembly, Congress has won 114 seats, BJP 109, Independents 4, BSP 2 and SP 2.

It is also learnt that CM Nath, currently a member of the Lok Sabha who has to become a member of the Assembly within six months as per the rules, could fight an Assembly by-election from Saunsar that falls under his Chindwara Lok Sabha constituency even as many sitting Congress MLAs have reportedly expressed their readiness to vacate their seats to enable the CM to contest the by-poll.